Preserving your pumpkin

How to help your Halloween pumpkin live longer?

For the most thorough analysis, including pictures of deteriorating jack-o-lanterns, check out this site 

"There are 5 most common methods of pumpkin preservation. If you want your pumpkin to last longer then use the following things after you simply carve it and clean it out.

1. Bleach.  The pumpkin should be soaked in bleach solution (1 tsp. bleach/gallon water) for 8 hours. Thereafter it should be sprayed daily with a mild bleach solution. The soaking and spraying is intended to hydrate the pumpkin flesh, while the bleach is an antimicrobial.

2. “Pumpkin Fresh.”  We sprayed the pumpkin daily with commercial pumpkin preservative Pumpkin Fresh, as directed on bottle. The solution contains water, sodium tetraborate decahydrate (borax), and sodium benzoate (a preservative and fungicide). The label describes it as a “fungicidal solution.”

3. White glue.  You can also coat the inside and cut surfaces with white glue. The dried glue is intended to seal the pumpkin, preventing dehydration.

4. Vaseline.  Vaseline is also a good way to make your pumpkin live longer. The pumpkin should be coated on the inside and cut surfaces with petroleum jelly. This is intended to keep the pumpkin flesh from dehydrating.

5. Acrylic spray.  Carved pumpkin can also be sprayed with acrylic finish spray. The spray is intended to seal the pumpkin flesh, preventing dehydration and acting as a barrier to mold growth."