How to Make Your Jack-O-Lantern Survive A Little Longer

It’s that time of year again – malls and radio stations are pumping in Christmas tunes, and some of our more obnoxious neighbors have started decorating. The problem is Halloween will be here first. This article is directed towards the sane people who are planning on decorating for Halloween, rather than a holiday that’s nearly three months away. Specifically, we’re going to talk about keeping your pumpkins un-mushified, so your Jack-O-Lanterns last longer.
An uncarved pumpkin will last between sixty and ninety days, but individual pumpkin’s mileage will vary. Once you carve your Jack-O-Lantern, that life expectancy drops considerably, a few days. To keep your Jack-O-Lantern kicking around for as long as possible, keep it out of direct sunlight, and extreme temperatures in general (hot or cold). If you’ve carved the perfect pumpkin, it may behoove you to store that gap-toothed fruit in the fridge until it’s time to place it out on display.
Additionally, how you carve that Jack-O-Lantern has an impact on its lifespan. Etched pumpkins last longer than ones that are fully carved; an etched pumpkin will last roughly a week. Of course, etched pumpkins are amateur hour, so consider washing the inside of your fully carved Jack-O-Lantern with soap and water before putting it out on display.
If you’ve been reading this and have said to yourself “there’s no scenario where my Jack-O-Lantern lasts longer than a week,” you’re right. Thus, if you simply can’t wait to carve a pumpkin, just take a few practice runs to get everything just right. Prepare your final display about a week before Halloween, and everything will be fantastic.
At the Chernov Team we understand that knowledge is power, and knowledge of how to keep your Jack-O-Lantern alive is powerful knowledge indeed. At the Chernov Team we know that whoever comes to the table most prepared leaves with the most, and the Chernov Team always leaves the table with the most.