We asked a horticulturist how long carved pumpkins last. Here's her answer, plus tips for how to make your carved pumpkins last longer.
The Trick to Making Carved Pumpkins Last Longer
You don’t have to wait until Halloween to carve up your jack-o’-lantern. In fact, one of the best fall activities is heading out to the pumpkin patch to find the perfect gourd to carve. But once you’ve created your masterpiece, you’re bound to wonder: How long do carved pumpkins last?
We’ve got the answer! We talked to gardening expert Leslie Vincent to discover exactly how long a carved pumpkin can stay fresh. She also shares her top tips for how to make carved pumpkins last longer using items you probably already have in your kitchen.
Keep reading for the expert scoop on how long your carved pumpkins can last, plus a step-by-step guide to keep them looking great for weeks.
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How long do uncarved pumpkins last?
Before carving, a pumpkin can last about a month at room temperature. But don’t go picking one at your local pumpkin patch too early. “If you want your pumpkin to be in pristine condition for the big day, we’d recommend purchasing a locally sourced pumpkin around 14 days before Halloween,” says Vincent, who works as a horticulturist at Atkins Farm Machinery and Garden Care.
If you’re displaying a pumpkin outside, keep it protected from direct sunlight (which will make it mushy) and rain (which creates mold).
How long do carved pumpkins last?
While there are plenty of great no-carve pumpkin ideas, many of us still love to grab a knife and carve up a pumpkin pattern to take our jack-o’-lantern to the next level. The trick is to make your creation last through the holiday—and once you carve a pumpkin, you’ve got around three to seven days before it rots.
“Once you cut into a pumpkin, the lifespan of the fruit significantly decreases,” says Vincent. (Yes! If you didn’t realize it, a pumpkin is actually a fruit!) When you carve, you’re turbocharging the oxidation process, which leads to rotting. Pumpkins generally tend to rot so quickly after carving because they lose nearly 90% of their moisture content.
So how do you make a carved pumpkin last longer? By keeping it as moist as possible, though not soaked, says Vincent. Gently misting it on a regular basis after you carve will help a lot.
How to make carved pumpkins last longer
Here are even more tricks to prolong the life of your carved pumpkin.
Give it a bleach bath
A little-known way to use bleach is to help extend the life of your pumpkin by up to a week. “When you dip the pumpkin in bleach, you’re effectively killing off any bacteria and organisms that exist on the skin of the fruit,” says Vincent. “Without these present, the rotting process is staved off for a little while longer.”
Once you’ve carved your pumpkin, it’s time to give it a good rinse. Here’s how:
- Fill a tub or large bucket with water and add about 3 teaspoons of bleach.
- Next, fully submerge the pumpkin in the bleach water for two to three minutes.
- Let it fully dry, and you’re go to go.
Soak it in vinegar
Vinegar also helps carved pumpkins last longer. Follow the same method as with the bleach:
- Fill a tub or large bucket with water and add about 3 teaspoons of vinegar.
- Next, fully submerge the pumpkin in the vinegar water for 30 minutes.
- Let it fully dry.
Vinegar is a better option for those who display their jack-o’-lanterns outside. “It is safer for the surrounding wildlife if they decide to have a quick nibble,” says Vincent.
Use WD-40 (cautiously!)
Coating the outside of your carved pumpkin with WD-40 will keep things fresh for longer than bleach or vinegar. That’s because the mineral oil protects and retains the moisture. “This one always raises a few eyebrows, but it really works—we’ve been using this method for a number of years without fail,” Vincent says.
One big caveat: WD-40 is flammable, so you must not light your jack-o’-lantern with a real candle once you’ve sprayed it down; use an LED light instead. In fact, Vincent recommends not using real candles in any scenario since a flame will only dry out the pumpkin further.
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Source:
- Leslie Vincent, horticulturist at Atkins Farm Machinery and Garden Care
