2023-10-31 13:17:34
According to a study carried out by the Society and Consumption Observatory (ObSoCo) last year, more than one in two French people celebrate Halloween. Tradition dictates that we carve a pumpkin and to succeed, there are a few tips.
While many of us simply use a spoon and a knife, there are special tools to make the job easier. For example, there are notched saws for greater precision, casters, or even hollowing spoons. These tools are sold in kits, in garden centers or even on the internet, for 10-15 euros.
Once our pumpkin is carved, it must be preserved. Squash is an organic material, so it will decompose, shrivel or worse, sometimes it can even become infested with worms. First, you have to scrub it well and clean it well. When you dig it, remove as much flesh as possible. Then, the best trick to kill bacteria is to soak it in bleach overnight. You can also spray hairspray or lemon juice on its flesh. To prevent it from being too dry, brush it with vegetable oil or vaseline, it forms a rather effective protective film. And above all, put it outside every evening, it will restore its freshness. In general, with these tips, we keep our Jack-o’-lantern, or pumpkin-lantern, for one to two weeks maximum.
Culinary, cosmetic or decorative… some recycling ideas
It all depends on the preservation method you used. In any case, avoid throwing it away! If you just sculpted it a day or two ago and you didn’t use bleach, you can simply reuse it in compost or simply enjoy it. Same for the flesh you collected while digging it. Oven-roasted pumpkin is delicious, but it can also be cooked into soup, muffins, and even cookies. Besides, know that pumpkin seeds are very good, you put them in the oven with a little olive oil and paprika and curry style spices, and you have a great snack for an aperitif.
Another possibility: make a mask or exfoliant for the skin because pumpkin has moisturizing properties. Look on the internet there are lots of tutorials online. And for decoration lovers, you can reuse your lanterns into vases. You put foam soaked in water inside. You create a composition with flowers, it’s original and it gives an autumn feel to your interior.
#succeed #preserve #recycle #pumpkin