You go through a lot of trouble to find that perfect pumpkin, searching for something that when carved will sit perfectly when displayed on your porch. So after you have carved it or painted, you don’t want to have it wither away and look sunken in after just one day on the porch. Here are some practical ways to keep your Jack-O-Lantern fresh looking until Halloween.
1. After you have carved your pumpkin, coat the carved edges and inside of the jack-o-lantern with vaseline(Petroleum Jelly), this will help seal in the moisture of the pumpkin and extend the life of your jack-o-lantern. Vegetable oil will work also, if vaseline isn’t available.
2. If the cut edges of your jack-o-lantern have begun to curl, soak the pumpkin in a tub of water
overnight to re-hydrate it. After removing the pumpkin from the tub of water, allow to drain for about half an hour and then pat dry.
3. To keep a painted or decorated jack-o-lantern hydrated, mist the pumpkin with water daily. Cover the jack-o-lantern with a damp towel when it’s not on display or place the jack-o-lantern inside a plastic trash bag and put it in your refrigerator.
4. Wrap your pumpkin in plastic wrap and store it in your refrigerator when not displaying it. This will help keep it fresher, longer.
5. Soak your pumpkin in bleach solution(1 tsp bleach to 1 gallon of water) for 8 hours. Then spray lightly with a bleach solution every day, the water hydrates while the bleach helps keep the mold away.
Do some experimenting and try some of these ideas on your Jack-o-lanterns and see which ones work. For carved pumpkins, it is best to use a battery operated light instead of a candle, it keeps the pumpkin fresh looking longer.