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Pumpkins: Keeping Carved Pumpkins Fresh

Two freshly carved pumpkins with Halloween designs.

Carved pumpkins look their best one to two days after carving, and without some care, rarely look good after seven days. If you want to keep your pumpkin all-natural, we recommend waiting until October 27th to carve it, otherwise, here are some tips to keeping your pumpkin designs fresh.

  • Make sure your hands and any tools are both clean and sanitized. Then wipe the outside of the pumpkin down with disinfectant before making the first cut.
  • Once carved, you can keep your pumpkin fresh for up to a week by wiping or spraying the inside and cut areas with disinfectant, or using one of the pumpkin sprays available in craft or party stores.
  • Carved pumpkins decline the fastest in warm weather. It’s best to keep them out of direct sunlight and move them into a garage, cool basement, or a refrigerator when temperatures exceed 70°F. If your climate is humid or it is rainy, it will help to dry off and refrigerate your carved pumpkins at night. Freezing temperatures also speed decay, so move them to a protected location when temperatures outside are below freezing.
  • If a pumpkin starts to shrivel or get moldy, you can soak it for a couple of hours in a bucket of water and disinfectant to revive it.
  • To light up your carved pumpkin for more than one night, use a battery-operated candle or small flashlight instead of a candle. This will prevent soot and heat damage that could shorten the pumpkin’s lifespan.

Now all you need is a design to get carving!