How to Preserve Your Pumpkins With These Household Items
Hopefully this Halloween season you’ve had time to visit a pumpkin patch, pick out the perfect pumpkins just for you, and carve them into a masterpiece. But now what? Keep…
LONDON, ENGLAND – OCTOBER 31: An installation of 3,000 candle-lit pumpkins blanket the canal side steps at Granary Square on October 31, 2014 in London, England. The pumpkins, created by members of youth development group Global Generation and other carvers, will be on display and illuminated from dusk until Saturday November 1, 2014. (Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty Images)
Photo by Rob Stothard/Getty ImagesHopefully this Halloween season you've had time to visit a pumpkin patch, pick out the perfect pumpkins just for you, and carve them into a masterpiece. But now what? Keep your pumpkins from rotting with these tips and tricks.
One way to keep them fresh is by soaking them in vinegar. Taste of Home says vinegar will kill off any harmful bacteria that could break down your pumpkins. They say to make a mixture of 10 parts water, 1 part vinegar, and have your pumpkins soak for 20-30 minutes. One way to do this for a larger amount of gourds is in a bathtub like @therusticredfox did.
Another way is to spray your pumpkins with bleach. But, keep in mind that when you are ready to throw them out, a bleached pumpkin will be toxic to any wildlife that might snack on them.
Another idea that is not as toxic is using petroleum jelly or Vaseline to cover the inside and outside of the pumpkin. This will act as a shield that protects the pumpkin from rotting and keeps animals and bacteria away.
Source: Taste of Home
