Ghoulish faces glowing in the night do not have to be scary, especially if they are on the face of a pumpkin.
Pumpkin carving is a popular tradition toenjoy in the fall. It is a fun and messy activity that can be easily done with a group of friends.
The first order of business in pumpkin carving is to find a suitable canvas, the canvas being a pumpkin. It is not hard to find pumpkins for carving around Riverside, Calif. as a lot of grocery stores, such as Stater Brothers and Albertsons, carry them. Pumpkins can also be found at self-picking pumpkin patches around town.
Regardless of where the pumpkin is purchased, it is a good idea to give it a quick rubdown with water. This will get rid of any excess dirt and give the pumpkin a fresh surface area for the creation.
Some stores also carry pumpkin carving kits, which will have all the tools needed to carve a pumpkin and sometimes even a few designs to help get started.
However, it is possible to carve a pumpkin without one of these kits.
You will need:
Newspaper – to cover the table or floor.
Knives – varying in size and sharpness.
Spoon – to help remove flesh and seeds.
Marker – to apply design to pumpkin.
Candle – to light up the pumpkin. First of all, spread out the newspaper so it covers the work area to prevent the pumpkin seeds and flesh from getting everywhere.
The top of the pumpkin needs to be cut off so the seeds and flesh can be removed from the inside. This can be done by cutting a hexagon or circle with the knife around the pumpkin’s stem creating a “lid.” Keep in mind the cut should be made at an angle. If the cut is made straight down into the pumpkin, when the lid is replaced later it will fall into the pumpkin.
The seeds and flesh can now be removed from the pumpkin using a spoon. Continue doing so until all the seeds and loose flesh have been removed. The thickness of the remaining flesh is determined by the complexity of the desired design. For more intricate designs, the flesh should be thinner.
Don’t get rid of the seeds just yet. These seeds can be used to make roasted pumpkin seeds to eat while the actual pumpkin carving takes place.
For this simple and quick roasted pumkin seed receipe you will need:
Pumpkin seeds
Bowl
Cookie sheet
Kosher salt
Olive oil
Separate the seeds from the flesh, rinse the seeds and throw the flesh away. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine a table- spoon of olive oil and the pumpkin seeds. Stir until the seeds are completely covered. Place seeds on cookie sheet and then sprinkle salt to lightly cover the seeds. Put cookie sheet in the oven and let the seeds to bake until golden brown.
While the seeds are roasting, pumpkin carving can begin.
The designs can be faces, pictures or anything imaginable. These designs can be drawn directly with a marker, traced or transferred onto the pumpkin. Once the design is situated on the pumpkin, it is time to carve. Using the various sized knives, cut the design. Make sure to use caution when carving to prevent from knocking out unwanted pieces. Now that the design is carved out, remove the pieces that may have fallen into the pumpkin. Place a candle or an- other sort of lighting device within the base of the pumpkin. Replace the lid of the pumpkin and shut off the lights to reveal a Halloween masterpiece.
