# When to carve the jack-o-lantern? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 25, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-carve-the-jack-o-lantern/702514 "2014-10-25T20:21:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-carve-the-jack-o-lantern/702514/1 "2014-10-25T20:21:30Z")
Halloween is coming up, so a jack-o-lantern is in order. But when should I carve it? Highs will be in the mid-50s, and lows will be in the mid-to-upper-40s. Rain and showers for the foreseeable future. Carving tomorrow would be convenient, but I don’t want it to rot before Friday. ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-carve-the-jack-o-lantern/702514/2 "2014-10-25T20:33:40Z")
You can carve it now and put Vasaline on all of the carved surfaces to seal them from mold. You can also put in a bleach bath after carving (Google it, I don’t have the specific instructions) to get rid of bacteria and fend off mold. You can also keep them inside during the day and just put them out at night when you light them. In the fridge, even better. ---
**Author:** ![dangermom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e274bd/32.png) [@dangermom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dangermom)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-carve-the-jack-o-lantern/702514/3 "2014-10-25T20:34:20Z")
A cut pumpkin will start rotting in a couple of days. I usually do it the day before, but two days before will probably work. More than that and you’re risking mold. Or there are those suggestions, which never occurred to me. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-carve-the-jack-o-lantern/702514/4 "2014-10-25T20:34:58Z")
[You’ve got about 5 to 10 days](http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/10/05/141094067/how-long-does-a-pumpkin-last). Freezing reduces this number. I think you should be fine. I’m doing mine tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c57346/32.png) [@Little\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Pig)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 5:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-carve-the-jack-o-lantern/702514/5 "2014-10-31T05:00:40Z")
Any favorite YouTube sites on how to carve a pumpkin? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2014, 5:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-to-carve-the-jack-o-lantern/702514/6 "2014-10-31T05:09:46Z")
> [@Little\_Pig](#): > > Any favorite YouTube sites on how to carve a pumpkin? No, [I just carved it](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=739019). (Very basic jack-o-lantern; nothing fancy.) If you’re talking about before you carve, cut the top off at a 45º angle (so it doesn’t fall in) and make a jagged pattern so you put it on the right way. Scoop out the insides with a large metal spoon, making sure you get all of the stringy stuff and seeds. Scrape the rind as well as you can. That should help prevent rotting. (By the looks of my pumpkin, I could have carved it last weekend when I posted the question and it probably would still be OK.) Scraping the rind also leaves a brighter surface.