Dear Gill,

The beautiful weather we’ve had lately, along with the, sometimes, cooler temperatures has me wanting to get outdoors. I thought a fun thing to do with my kids would be to carve pumpkins. I’ve never carved them before and was wondering if you had any suggestions on making them last longer?

Jaime,

Elberta

Well, Jaime, the best way to make them last longer is to just not carve them. I know…not quite the answer you were looking for. I enjoy seeing fall displays of hay bales, pumpkins and mums by people’s door steps, but I do also enjoy a brightly lit jack-o-lantern.

But, I thought I’d throw this option your way Jaime. You and your children can really make some festive fall decorations with a little paint. Since the kids will be handling the paint, make sure you get the non-toxic variety from a craft store. This wasn’t something we worried much about back in my day though. Have the kids paint funny or scary faces on the pumpkins and your pumpkins will last much longer than if they were carved.

However, if your heart is set on carving up the specimen, you can coat the inside with petroleum jelly to help deter mold and rot a little longer. The petroleum jelly helps seal in the pumpkin’s moisture and keep out mold.

While I’ve never tried it, some people suggest bringing your jack-o-lantern inside, wrapping it in plastic wrap and keeping it in the fridge when not on display. I don’t know about you, but finding space in my fridge big enough to fit a 10-pound pumpkin isn’t an option.

While we’re on the subject, here are a few fun facts about the seasonal fruit I found interesting. As one of the most popular crops in the United States, 1.5 billion pounds of pumpkins are produced each year. The top pumpkin-producing states in the U.S. include Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California. Pumpkins are a warm-weather crop that is usually planted in early July.

Be sure to send in a photo of you and your family with your pumpkin masterpieces for “Around Baldwin.”

Find Gill on the Web!

Look for the link to the “Ask Gill” Message Board and Forum on www.BaldwinCountyNow.com. Register online and you can start a new topic of interest, ask a question or even respond to someone else’s question. It’s a great little interactive tool. I hope you’ll try it out soon!

To have your question answered or comment printed in “Ask Gill” send it to people@gulfcoastnewspapers.com. To post something in Gulf Coast Newspapers’ online forum, go to www.BaldwinCountyNow.com and look for the “Ask Gill” link.