How do you carve names in Pumpkins?

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I planted a few "jack o' lantern" type pumpkins for my nieces, to be able to carve their names in them, and watch it get bigger as the pumpking grows. At what size are the pumpkins, when you carve the name and what do you use to carve the name with? Thanks all!

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), August 02, 2001

Answers

uh, that's a pumpkin, not pumpking! Sheesh, I need more coffee.....

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), August 02, 2001.

Take a popcycle stick, or something blunt, and scratch the name on the pumpkin. The resulting "bruise" will stay and the kids can watch it get darker as the fruit matures. Always fun.

Rickstir

-- Rickstir (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), August 02, 2001.


I have read that if you carve the names very shallowly in the rind with a sharp, clean knife then the signature will scar and grow with the pumpkin. I haven't done it yet myself but will one of these days when there are enough pumpkins in the patch.

-- Alison in N.S. (aproteau@istar.ca), August 02, 2001.

We use an inexpensive wood carving set of knives. (This is for older kids.) Besides names we do faces and designs, usually when the pumpkin is 3/4 grown and still green. Be careful not to damage the vine while carving. It is fun to look at a Halloween pumpkin and remember the hot summer afternoon spent carving it.

-- Nancy Bakke-McGonigle MN. Sunset (dmcgonig@smig.net), August 02, 2001.

Thanks all, for the answers. Will wait until the pumpkins are a little larger to carve them. That is, if I can curtail my neices. Thanks again.

-- Annie (mistletoe@kconline.com), August 02, 2001.


Annie, We use to do it all the time when I was a kid. Just used a nail as the writing tool.

-- Bill (sticky@2side.tape), August 02, 2001.

We have used a variety of utensils to carve names and designs in pumkins. Each gives a bit different result. Ex: vegetable peeler, cuticle cutter, paring knife etc. The best results come from sharp instruments. Be sure not to cut too deep or damage the vine, or the fruit will rot. You only need to peel off the top layer of "skin" to get the resulting scar the shows your efforts.

-- Mary (zoots25@hotmail.com), August 02, 2001.

i just use my fienger nail scratch what ever you want into yje skinn and then it will heal over looks great .names faces ..remarks like (hi bob) (i am not the great pumpking) ect....

-- george darby (windwillow@fuse.net), August 05, 2001.

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