Try This Pumpkin Saving Tip

It’s not a good year for pumpkins. The hardy squashes can usually take a good weather beating, but this year has been especially rough. When I took my family to the pumpkin patch two weekends ago (which is early for us, can’t believe I got my act together) more than half of the pumpkins were rotting. It’s sad and must be even sadder for the farmers.

It’s not unusual for Colorado to get an early snow. If the pumpkins get blanketed by snow they can withstand the cold. But this year we had quite an early and long period of freezing temperatures without snow. Then it got warm and then it snowed and then it got warm again.

So I have a bunch of pumpkins that I’m too afraid to carve. Well, actually I could probably just use my fingers to poke a face in them. The birds, meanwhile, are having fun. I’m not sure if they eat them, but they’ve been busy.

I found this suggestion on Lifehacker to save the pumpkins. It’s kinda gross, but might be worth a try.

Coat all cut surfaces of the pumpkin with petroleum jelly immediately after they have been carved. This includes a light coating of the entire inside of the pumpkin. If you can't do the whole inside, at least try to coat the design that you've cut into the pumpkin. The petroleum jelly acts as a barrier to seal in the pumpkins internal moisture to help slow down the dehydration process of the pumpkin.

If this doesn’t help look on the bright side, conditions this year are ideal for a pumpkin smashing. Plus, I live at the top of hill, so this will be loads of fun.