| Pumpkin carving skills |
| Roll up those sleeves and practice your carving skills as you pay homage to hallowed jack-o'-lantern legends. Some sources hold that a wandering spirit named Jack carried a carved-out turnip lantern to light his way as he roamed Ireland on All Hallow's Eve. Others say that the glowing vegetables were placed in windows to frighten away the likes of Jack. Whatever your favorite tale, there's no doubt that jack-o'-lanterns have come a long way. Gone is the American standard of triangular features with a snaggle-toothed grin. Now people carve pictures of witches and ghosts, or abstract geometric patterns. Jack-o'-lanterns don't even have to be made from pumpkins anymore. Many budding sculptors are returning to the holiday's Celtic roots and carving everything from turnips to winter squash to watermelons. No matter what your medium, a few standard techniques apply. Be sure to level off the bottom of your vegetable with a serrated knife so that it will sit straight, especially if you're using a candle. If you're using a candle, open your pumpkin from the top, making a six-sided lid rather than a round one, because an angular lid is less likely to fall through. Remove the seeds, scraping the interior clean with a metal spoon. Make a healthy snack by tossing the cleaned seeds with a little olive oil and salt and baking at 350 degrees F for 20 minutes until golden-brown and crispy. If you're carving an elaborate design, draw it first on paper. Tape the design to the pumpkin and use a pin to poke tiny holes through the paper and into the rind, tracing the lines of the pattern onto the surface. When you remove the paper, the pattern will be visible and ready to cut, without any tell-tale ink marks. There are plenty of special carving tools, but you can work with a sharp paring knife and a small serrated knife. No matter what you use, a gentle sawing motion is not only safer than a forceful thrust, but less likely to break delicate parts of your design. To help your jack-o'-lantern last longer and prevent that wrinkled look, rub the cut surfaces with petroleum jelly. It's hard for electric lights to match the eerie flicker of a candle in a jack-o'-lantern, but they're a safer option (and better for windy nights). If you want to use a candle, a votive candle in a glass holder is best, and far less likely to leave scorch marks on the lid of your pumpkin. Can't bear to waste good ol' jack when the evening is over? If you have a clean, freshly carved pumpkin and haven't used petroleum jelly, you can cut the jack-o'-lantern in half and roast it, flesh side down in a roasting pan, at 375 degrees F until it's tender when poked with a knife tip (30-60 minutes). Scoop out the flesh, and you're ready to turn that pumpkin into pie. |
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