Jack-o-lanterns

While the original carved veg lanterns were turnips, we’d recommend sticking to pumpkins for your Halloween decor. (We’ve tried turnips: It’s hard work and that turnip smell really lingers!) So which pumpkin to pick?

First, you should know there are two different types of pumpkins: the ones that are designed to be delicious (they’re smaller, browner and found in the vegetable section of the supermarket) and the ones that are bred to be pretty — the classic big orange pumpkin that trick-or-treat buckets are modeled after. You can carve the ones that are intended to be eaten, but don’t try eating a carving pumpkin. They’re watery, fibrous and have very little flavour.

Bigger supermarkets are likely to have perfectly nice pumpkins for carving, but if you’ve got the means to get to a pick-your-own farm, it’s a fun day out choosing just the right gourd out of a field of contenders.

These PYO farms aren’t too far from SW17, but you may need to book in advance this year:

Once you’ve picked your pumpkin, what’s next? First, get your supplies ready. Here’s where it gets messy…

What you’ll need:

  • the pumpkin (or turnip!)
  • a sharp kitchen knife
  • a sturdy metal spoon
  • a big bowl to collect the messy bits
  • a few layers of newspaper or a plastic sheet, bin bag or recycling bag

We won’t give you step-by-step instructions on the actual carving — there are some great tutorials on YouTube that can show you what to do — but we have a few tips to offer from our years of jack-o-lantern experience:

  • A sharp kitchen knife works better than the tools in those little pumpkin-carving kits, especially for cutting the lid and larger lines.
  • The tiny saws in those kits are good for very detailed areas, but they take a while.
  • A super-sharp craft knife/scalpel is also great for details — and can be used to scrape off just the top layer of pumpkin skin for interesting effects.
  • Draw your design first in washable marker or crayon. If you’re carving with little kids, they can draw the design and then an adult can cut it out.
  • Save the seeds to roast and eat!

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