How to Carve a Classic Jack O’Lantern

Ah, the humble pumpkin. What other huge orange squash do you know of that is so versatile? Pumpkin Pie, pumpkin shaped candy, pumpkin seeds, the list goes on and on. And while not everyone is going to agree on the best recipe for a pumpkin pie, almost everybody will be in agreement when asked what makes the best decoration for Halloween. You guessed it, our friend the humble pumpkin.

But how do you go about carving the ultimate Jack-o-lantern, I hear you ask? Well, Grasshopper, pull-up a seat, grab yourself a hot-cup of pumpkin tea (see, there’s another use) and I shall explain.

The first thing you need to do is make sure that the pumpkin you are using is not overly ripe. The last thing you want is to start cutting the pumpkin and have it fall apart on you. To tell if a pumpkin is ripe just give it a good thump or a slap, if it sounds hollow then the probability is that it is ripe.

Don’t be put off by oddly shaped or asymmetrical pumpkins. You don’t need a perfectly round pumpkin. If you plan the design ahead of time and use a little imagination, a weirdly shaped pumpkin can easily add to the strangeness of the appearance of your Jack-o-Lantern.

You might want to buy several pumpkins, so everyone in the family can join in the fun. That way you will have plenty of pumpkins for inside and outside decorations.

You’re going to need a nice sharp knife to carefully cut the top off the pumpkin about three or four inches around the base of the stalk.

If you have kids then it’s probably not a good idea to let them near the cutting implements, let the adults handle that part.

Once, you have cut the top off, set it aside for later. Next you need to scoop out the insides with a nice large spoon; this is something that you and the kids can do quite safely, so feel free to get them to join in.

When you have scooped all the innards out you will next need to draw the face on the pumpkin. Just grab a black marker and let your inner artist go wild.

If you can’t come up with a design, do a quick search on the Internet, there are plenty of sites out there that can supply you with inspiration or a template for a scary design.

Once the outline is drawn, carefully cut out the shapes with a smaller knife, I prefer to use a paring knife for more accuracy and control.

Again, don’t let the youngsters near the knife and be careful of your own fingers, it’s easy to slip and cut yourself.

Younger children can use a felt-tip pen to draw their own designs and you can finish carving for them.

And for the finishing touch, place a votive candle inside the hollowed out pumpkin and place the top you cut off earlier back in place and you are good to go.