Katharina Buczek
Instead, simply grab a bleach wipe and thoroughly wipe down the rind. This will especially help if you plan to carve– since piercing a pumpkin with a dirty exterior will introduce all of those pesky organisms to the inside.
To Gut Or Not To Gut
The most challenging part about carving a pumpkin is actually scraping all of the fibrous interior strands loose and scooping them out. And doing so allows your jack-o-lantern face to really shine.
However, you do not want to make the mistake of scooping out too much. Regardless of how well you clean your pumpkin or not, these fruits will inevitably decompose.
But, by leaving your pumpkin with thick enough walls, you can prevent pumpkin collapse that much longer.
Plus, who wants to see their artwork literally fold in on itself one day?
Play Mother Nature, Kind Of
This last step can be tricky, but it will seriously make all the difference.
The month of October is known to be wet and rainy throughout various parts of the United States. And while you cannot control the weather, you can control what conditions your jack-o-lantern is exposed to.
Rain is the quickest way to invite all sorts of mold onto and into your pumpkin– especially through those triangles and teeth that you artfully carved earlier.
So, if you see rain in the forecast, move your pumpkin to a covered area or even consider bringing it inside until the ground drys up.
