How to Keep Your Jack-O-Lantern Fresh

It's pumpkin season! We love the tradition of carving jack-o-lanterns, but they start to get mushy and don't last long once you carve them. So then comes the dilemma: Do you hope it lasts until the big night and go ahead and carve it anyway, or do you wait until the last minute to make sure that it's nice and fresh?

Of course, there are some store-bought products made just for this purpose, but you could also try one of these tricks to help your little pumpkin friends last longer. Some work better than others, but it might be fun to do a little science experiment to find out the best!

Options To Try:

1. Rub petroleum jelly (like Vaseline) onto the exposed pumpkin flesh after carving.

2. Spray cooking spray (like Pam) onto the exposed pumpkin flesh after carving.

3. Submerge and soak carved pumpkin into a solution of 1 Tablespoon bleach & 1 gallon water. Soak it for about 8 hours (overnight) and then put the left-over solution into a spray bottle. Spray inside and all around your pumpkin daily to keep mold away.

4. Put silica packets inside your carved pumpkin. *(It is not safe to open, eat, or leave them inside the pumpkin if you put a candle in it. This particular trick is not recommended if you have curious little ones around that may eat the silica packets.)

Do you have any tips to share? Post them in the comments.