Rappin With Rosemary

How to Stop Pumpkins From Aging!

Get Dad's Rogaine and Mom's Botox.... no, just kidding! What you need to do is

Sterilize the pumpkin's carved surfaces (to kill fungi, mold, bacteria, bugs)

Seal the surfaces to prevent drying and to keep out new "little buggers"

Essentially, you’re going to embalm your Jack O'Lantern, just like the ancient Egyptians did their mummies! (Hey, maybe they practiced on pumpkins!)

Here are the simple steps:

Remove dirt: Wipe the exterior surfaces of the pumpkin clean using a damp cloth.

Make a bleach solution of 1 tablespoon of bleach per quart of water and put it in a spray bottle.

Spray the pumpkin inside and all cut areas of the pumpkin with the solution. This will kill much of the surface bacteria and mold that cause rotting.

Let it penetrate and dry for about 20 minutes

Next, rub all of the carved or cut surfaces with petroleum jelly. This will keep out new bacteria and molds as well as dramatically reduce the dehydration!

Wipe away excess with a paper towel!

Now, keep your pumpkin out of direct sunlight and try to keep it as cool as possible (but above freezing!) and you should get at least a week's enjoyment out of it!