[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Here's a thorough experiment that compares the common pumpkin preservation methods. White glue, acrylic spray, Vaseline, bleach and Pumpkin Fresh. The results might not be what you expect:

http://www.myscienceproject.org/pumpkin.html

[Coley]

I've only really used the conventional method, by re hydrating from time to time. It seems to keep them alive long enough for Halloween at least.

I find it kind of satisfying seeing them slowly decaying after they have served their purpose!

I see they had some other, erm , "interesting" experiments in the name of science! Someone's got to do it i suppose..

[Tkaraoke]

I was really surprised how long Frankie lasted by just re-hydrating him without any bleach. I just bought a huge tub from Walmart ($5.99) and filled it with water and kept him in for a couple of hours. I think I could do without Pumpkin Fresh or any other preservatives if I could keep my pumpkins alive for 6 or 7 days after carving them.

[Kittie]

20% Bleach water and wrapped in saran wrap. My pumpkins lasted 6 days. And I only sprayed them one time. But they were also kept in cold areas.

[Tkaraoke]

I think this just might be a case of too many factors involved in exactly how long a pumpkin will last when carved. Probably has a lot to do with how many mold spores are in the air to infect the pumpkin. I was happy how long mine lasted and as long as I can carve a few days before Halloween I'm happy.

[Mister_JP]

I think some pumpkins will just rot/decay faster than others. I had one of mine just rot no matter what I did. Others are still looking good today.

What they should have done is cut a single pumpkin into 6 pieces and try all those methods again. That way it's all in the same condition.

[Zombie Pumpkins!]

Good point, JP. A better test would have been to use pieces of the same pumpkin. Some of mine held up great this year, but my Shaun of the Dead pumpkin turned to total mush in half a week.

I usually just do the Vaseline trick, which I think really helps keep the edges looking sharp for an extra day or two. That's really all I need. I carve so close to Halloween that I don't have to go out of my way to preserve 'em.

Some of my stencils feature thin lines, but usually that's just a requirement to get a certain likeness. With most of my designs (especially the Unique Creations, where I have total creative freedom) I try to make them so they will hold up well, as the pumpkin dries out.

Take the "Crimson Ghost" design, for example. I carved that one a week 1/2 ago, and he still looks okay today. Well, he's seen better days... but the design hasn't caved in or anything.

[2manyferrets]

I use a bit of everything. Last year I did a buffalo bills/ sabres pumpkin for the rest./bar that I work at. After I carved it, I sprayed it with Lysol and used vasoline around the edges. I would display it on the bar for about 6 hours a night. I lit it with a lightbulb so the heat from the candle wouldn't rot it too quick. At the end of the night I put a little more vasoline around the edges, covered it in saran wrap and stored it in the walk in cooler in the basement. Once I noticed it starting to shrivel, I soaked it in bleachwater over night. When I came in in the morning it was right back how it started. Once again I put some more vasoline on it and just kept doing that. It lasted about 2 weeks.



And the stripe going through the buffalo is where it rotted first...


Erika

[quixotic]

Didn't notice this was already posted, very helpful website though!

[Raven]

This is slightly off topic, but I was watching an episode of Hoarders the other day and this lady had a pumpkin in her house that she has kept inside for 2 years. Uncarved of course, and not the type of pumpkin we would all use for carving, but still a pumpkin. It was still fine. There were a few in her house that were not fine, but that's a more disgusting story. She hoarded pumpkins.

[purple1worm]

I think I saw that episode!
On a less funny note I also saw an episode where they had to get animal control involved 'cause they found dead cats!

[hkzombie]

I use a bit of everything. Last year I did a buffalo bills/ sabres pumpkin for the rest./bar that I work at. After I carved it, I sprayed it with Lysol and used vasoline around the edges. I would display it on the bar for about 6 hours a night. I lit it with a lightbulb so the heat from the candle wouldn't rot it too quick. At the end of the night I put a little more vasoline around the edges, covered it in saran wrap and stored it in the walk in cooler in the basement. Once I noticed it starting to shrivel, I soaked it in bleachwater over night. When I came in in the morning it was right back how it started. Once again I put some more vasoline on it and just kept doing that. It lasted about 2 weeks.



And the stripe going through the buffalo is where it rotted first...


Erika

Was it the Lysol in a spray can (For disinfecting things?) Im thinking of using both of these methods this year to preserve my kins as long as possible.