A Spooktacular Guide to Preparing your Pumpkin for Halloween

Legend has it that Stingy Jack was left in the eternal night, with a burning coal inside a carved-out turnip to light his way. From this Irish folklore tale, the Jack o’-lantern was born, with faces carved into root vegetables, traditionally turnips, to ward off spirits.

Over time, creating a lantern has become more of a fun family activity for Halloween.

Now you’re likely to see a ghoulishly good range of creative designs carved into pumpkins and placed on the doorsteps of homes decorated for Halloween. If you don’t like pumpkins, there are lots of other vegetables and fruits you could use to create a lantern including oranges, watermelon and pineapple.

8 steps to becoming a pumpkin carving wizard

The softness of a pumpkin compared with a turnip may make it easier to carve, but there’s still a degree of technique and skill involved in creating your lantern. Want to trick people into thinking you’re a wizard pumpkin carving? Read our guide:

1. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut a panel in the back of your pumpkin, large enough to fit your hand in. Alternatively cut into the top or crown of the pumpkin.
2. Scoop out the seeds and fibres from inside your pumpkin with a spoon or ice-cream scoop. See below for details of how you can utilise the seeds.
3. Remove some of the flesh from your pumpkin and set aside. This can be used to prepare an autumnal dish later.
4. Draw your lantern design. You can do this on paper first before copying across onto your pumpkin if you’re unsure. Alternatively, there are lots of printable stencils available online or pumpkin carving kits that can help design your lantern.
5. Carve out the design. You may want to start by making a series of pinholes along the outline of your design to help make carving easier. For more intricate designs, a vegetable peeler or lemon zester can add to the effect of your lantern.
6. Push the pieces inside your pumpkin not out to help protect its structural integrity. You can scoop these out at the end.
7. Apply petroleum jelly to exposed areas of pumpkin flesh to prevent them from turning brown.
8. Traditionally, a candle would be placed inside a pumpkin lantern, but you may want to consider a battery-operated candle or fairy lights, wrapped around a jar. If using the latter, you’ll need to cut a hole in the pumpkin for the wire and to ensure that the lights don’t touch the inside surface.

4 alternative ways to decorate a pumpkin for Halloween

Families with young children can still enjoy pumpkin decorating at Halloween without having to worry about little hands using knives.

1. Stickers – use stick on googly eyes and other features to create a twist on the traditional spooky faced Jack o’-lantern.
2. Paint, pens or crayons – instead of drawing out your design and then carving it out, colour it in using paint, pens or crayons. The advantage with this option is, you can wipe the design off and start again if necessary.
3. Glitter gel – add some sparkle to your spooky goings on, after all ghosts and ghouls can be glamorous too.
4. Wrap it up – use bandages or cheesecloth to mummify your pumpkin.

4 ways to make the most of your Halloween pumpkin

From the flesh you hollowed out of your pumpkin to the seeds and the skin, there are lots of ways you can make the most of your pumpkin once you’ve made your lantern.

1. Cook a hearty meal – pumpkin makes the perfect base for seasonal suppers including pumpkin pie, roast pumpkin or spicy pumpkin soup recipe
2. Feed wildlife – wild animals can struggle to find food during late autumn. Garden visitors, like squirrels, foxes and badgers all enjoy pumpkin. Just make sure that whatever bits you put out aren’t covered with paint, glitter or candle wax and to leave your pumpkin remains on higher ground away from hedgehogs
3. Feed the birds – pumpkin seeds are highly nutritious, containing protein, carbs fats and minerals, making them ideal for birds who are about to go on long migratory winter flights
4. Compost what’s left – almost every part of your pumpkin is composable and – as it breaks down more easily when in small chunks – the kids can have great fun smashing it up beforehand. Remember to remove the seeds though, or you may find a few new pumpkins sprouting in your garden!