How to Carve a Frightening Pumpkin
October 27, 2011
•Le Cordon Bleu
•Sacramento
• 0 Comments
How to Carve a Frightening Pumpkin
Every year as the air turns cool and the leaves begin their colorful transformations, thoughts turn to tricks, treats, and things that go bump in the night. Halloween is a holiday full of fun for all ages. One of the best parts is the carving of Jack O’ Lanterns. These ultimate symbols of Halloween began as a way to scare off the ghosts and devils that are said to prowl the earth on All Hallows Eve. Today, however, they’re just great way to add some frightful fun to our most chilling holiday.
Pumpkin may not be high on the list of desirable food in certain parts of culinary California, but it’s featured heavily in traditional dishes like pumpkin bread, pumpkin soup, and pumpkin pie. Pumpkins are much more than a scary face.
Pumpkin Carving 101
Pumpkin carving rarely won’t make it onto a syllabus for most culinary schools, but it’s a fun skill to learn. And one that is particularly handy this time of year.
Items You’ll Need:
Here are the tools you’ll need to carve your pumpkin:
- Pumpkin
- Large, sharp knife
- Small, sharp knife
- Large spoon
- And, of course, your imagination
Instructions:
- Wash and dry the exterior of your pumpkin to get any mud left over from the pumpkin farm
- With the stem facing up, use the large knife to cut a hole in the top of the pumpkin large enough to put your hand in and lift the lid off
- Use the spoon to remove all of the pulp and seeds. Keep a large bowl or trash can handy; this part gets messy
- Use your imagination to draw your face on the side of the pumpkin. Scary eyes, sharp teeth, and snarling mouths make for frightening features
- Carefully cut out the shapes with the smaller knife. Keep your lines straight and clean for a more attractive Jack O’ Lantern, or get a little messy to add to the scariness. It’s up to you!
- Clean up any loose pulp or pumpkin from the holes to let the light shine through
- Put a candle or two inside the pumpkin, light the candles, replace the lid, turn off the lights, and stand back and admire your fiendish work!
Note: Larger pumpkins are easier to carve than smaller ones, but the small ones are great for just drawing scary Jack O’ Lantern faces.Use colorful markers and paints to bring your ghoulish faces to life.
This article is presented by Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Sacramento. Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Sacramento offers culinary arts and pâtisserie and baking training programs in Sacramento, California. To learn more about the class offerings, please visit Chefs.edu/Sacramento for more information.
Find disclosures on graduation rates, student financial obligations and more at www.chefs.edu/disclosures. Le Cordon Bleu® and the Le Cordon Bleu logo are registered trademarks of Career Education Corporation. Le Cordon Bleu cannot guarantee employment or salary. Credits earned are unlikely to transfer.