If you do decide to carve your pumpkins from the start rub down the insides after carving with olive oil or coconut oil to moisturize them. What gives? Carving pumpkins speeds up the decaying process, so best to do the first steps and have an un-carved pumpkin up until a a week before Halloween, it gives your pumpkin the best chance of a hardy long life. I know, this starts to get confusing, first we tell you to make sure your pumpkin is totally dry on the inside with no gut residue and now we are telling you to moisturize you pumpkin. You can also use the bath solution as a daily spray to keep bacteria from forming on your pumpkins and keeping them healthy, just make sure no water is pooling and they are dry at the end of the process. Be very sure the base and stem are very dry because this is were water tends to pool and not dry completely. Let the pumpkins dry completely in the spot you have chosen for their fall home. The pumpkin will tend to want to float so you need to make sure that it is rotated in the water bath so all sides have been covered. Bathe your pumpkins in this solution for about two minutes. Mix one part bleach and ten parts water in a large container or you bathtub if you have a lot of pumpkins to wash. More this next month on great pumpkin seed recipes! Before starting to carve your pumpkins let the inside cavity dry out completely moisture inside the pumpkin is the pumpkin’s enemy because moisture with air exposure from carving will lead to quicker rotting. When you are cleaning out your pumpkins make sure the insides are completely dry and free of all seeds. Too much sun will dry out your pumpkin, while moisture from rain can lead to mold and mush! So a sheltered placement for your fall pumpkin decorations is best. The extremes are what hasten the pumpkin decaying process so rain and sun is the pumpkins enemy for longevity. Pumpkins like a covered porch–a dry and shaded spot for the season. Most of us like to decorate our pathway or porch with pumpkins, but keep in mind how the sun hits your house and yard when finding the best placement for your carved pumpkins. In the best of all worlds, once carved place your pumpkin in it’s desired home for the season and don’t touch it again. Dropping, bruising, or fingernail scratches all start the rotting process quicker. So only touch your pumpkins when you really need to. The oil and bacteria from your hands can speed up the pumpkin decomposition process quickly. Broken pumpkin stems let in bacteria and start the aging process quicker. Carry your pumpkin like a bag of groceries from the bottom and cradle it, don’t hold it by the stem. The only time you should touch your pumpkins is when you pick it, unload it to your home, clean it out and carve your pumpkins. To extend the life of your pumpkins, it’s best to handle them as little as possible. No one wants to deal with a sunken, fly invested, moldy pumpkin, yuck! So here are some tips that might help you enjoy your carved pumpkin longer. We have some ingenious tips for being able to enjoy your carved pumpkins for longer periods of time.

As pretty as they are, pumpkins can be messy so how do you preserve your pumpkin so you can actually enjoy them as decorations? As you begin to search for the perfect pumpkin keep in mind pumpkins make great fall decorations, and are not just for Halloween.

The kids are starting to talk about Halloween and the best pumpkin patch to go to.

Autumn is here, even though it feels like Indian summer at times in Sonoma County.

Moldy pumpkin stem