You’ve purchased the perfect pumpkin at a local patch — now what? Daniel Bair of Peck Farm Orchard in East Montpelier offers two basic concepts for carving.
 
1. Traditional: Carefully use small, serrated knives or pumpkin tools to carve large pieces of flesh out of a hollowed out pumpkin. Leave a chimney hole and place small battery lantern or candle in the cavity to create a nighttime glowing effect. 
 
2. Artistic: Using small carving tools, carefully cut and scrape just the skin of the pumpkin revealing the pulpy flesh. Create depth and texture for your design by carving in at varying depths. This can be done on a hollowed pumpkin and lit as above or done on a whole pumpkin.

Safety and Keeping: 

• Wash your fresh field pumpkins with water and dry before carving.  

• Pumpkin flesh is hard and when cutting can cause a knife to suddenly plunge or skip resulting in bad cuts. Use small tools or knives in easy, small, cutting motions. -Instruct kids thoughtfully with a hands-on approach.  

• The first night freeze and thaw will result in a mushy front step mess.  Cover your pumpkin or bring it in when temps dip. A well cared for pumpkin will last into November.    

Tip: “One trick I recently learned is to cut a hole in the bottom side of the pumpkin instead of around the handle,” says pumpkin grower Gregg Burtt. “It makes it easier to light the candle and gives you more flexibility with where you can carve."


Learn more about Peck Farm Orchard & Family Farm here.