With Halloween just around the corner, here are some safety tips to keep your pumpkin carving a treat instead of a trick!
Keep your hands and handles dry to avoid slips and stabs. As you cut the pumpkin, the juice will coat your hands and knife handle and could cause slipping and accidently stabbing your non-dominant hand.
Light it up. We’re not just talking about the pumpkin, but your pumpkin carving area. Do not let your pumpkin carving fun become a gruesome event. Keep the area well lit so you can see what you’re doing.
Use a knife with a dull blade. To carve a pumpkin, you need to apply force to penetrate the outer rind or skin. When you use a sharp knife, not only can you pierce the vegetable’s thick skin, you may also slice your hand if the knife slips or moves through the interior of the vegetable faster than you expect.
If possible, use a specially designed pumpkin carving kit. Most kits include a pumpkin saw designed to slice through the outer skin. Other tools included typically help you create a unique jack-o-lantern design.
Leave the carving to adults! Kids can still be involved in the pumpkin carving tradition, but have them draw the pattern and scoop out the seeds. You can also have them be the “hand-drying official” and ask them to remind you to dry your hands several times during the carving process.
Consider decorating alternatives. For people who live with small children, there are other options for decorating, such as paints, markers or cutting out stencils and adhering them to the pumpkin.