Halloween pumpkin carving in South Louisiana can be a little tricky because in October, it's still hot and humid here.

Installation Of 3,000 Pumpkins Unveiled In London
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How To Keep Jack-O-Lanterns From Rotting

Has Mother Nature been thwarting your Halloween Hootenanny?

Don't fret, because these easy, quick pumpkin hacks will keep your jack o lanterns looking as fresh as the day you carved them!

As soon as October hits, your kids probably want to start carving pumpkins.

But, carve them too soon and by the time Halloween gets here, they'll just be a gross pile of rotten mush.

Eleni Petrounakou Via Unsplash.com
Eleni Petrounakou Via Unsplash.com
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Maybe you've heard about these tricks, but if you haven't, these can certainly come in handy to help your pumpkin masterpieces stay looking as spooky as ever.

Best of all, these are cheap and easy to do, and you probably have everything you need lying around the house already.

How To Keep Pumpkins From Rotting

There are a few pumpkin preserving techniques utilizing things like Vaseline, bleach, vegetable oil, and even those little silica packets you have stuffed in drawers all over the house.

One way to keep a pumpkin from rotting is to soak it in bleach after you're done carving it. You can soak your pumpkin in the kitchen sink, ice chest, plastic bin, or anything that is safe to have bleach in it and is big enough to submerge the pumpkin.

You'll want to mix a solution of one tablespoon of bleach for every gallon of water needed to fully submerge your pumpkin. I've seen other instructions saying to use 2/3 cup of bleach for every gallon of water, but as long as you mix a solution somewhere in between the two you should be good.

Should I Put Bleach On My Pumpkin?

Absolutely. The bleach kills all of the mold, spores, and bacteria in the pumpkin, all of which is what rots the pumpkins.

Leave the pumpkin in the bleach solution for two minutes, then remove and dry.

Kimi Albertson Via Unsplash.com
Kimi Albertson Via Unsplash.com
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Put Silica Gel Packs In Carved Halloween Pumpkins

You know those hundreds of silica gel packs you have hiding in drawers all-around your house because you don't know what to do with them but you don't throw them away because it feels wrong? Just find a few of them, open them up, and sprinkle them around inside of your pumpkins. The silica gel will absorb the moisture inside of the pumpkin which also helps keep your pumpkins from rotting.

Townsquare Media Photo by John Falcon
Townsquare Media Photo by John Falcon
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Does Vaseline And Vegetable Oil Prevent Pumpkins From Wilting?

Yep, it certainly does! Rub Vaseline or vegetable oil on the pumpkin after you've carved it and given it a bleach solution bath. Make sure to get it on the exposed areas from the spots you carved. Do this and your pumpkins will stay nice and crisp for weeks longer than usual.

Also, make some more of the bleach water solution in a spray bottle, and every few days spray down the inside of the pumpkin to keep any ornery mold spores from trying to make a comeback due to the humid South Louisiana weather.

Let the carving begin, and Happy Halloween!

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