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'Tis Halloween

I just finished helping the munchkins carve pumpkins and wanted to pass along a tip. I made my kid-sized carvers by taking a piece of hardwood dowel, cutting a slit it in and then seating 12-14 tooth HSS jigsaw blades in the dowel. I made four - one for each kid and the adults (I may fall closer to the kids). At any rate, I epoxied the blade into the dowel and then wrapped the heck out of them with electrical tape. We're on year two with the first set no problem. Beats buying the specialty pumpkin carver things at the store as I, like many of you, have a ton of HSS jigsaw blades lying around. My total investment was practically nothing as I just used odds and ends in the shop including cheap imported no-name blades that get dull if you look at them wrong but work just fine on pumpkins :-).

Have fun with your families this Halloween.

--George

Reply to
George
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If your pumpkins are already carved and drying out, here's a tip to revive them for a couple days.

Soak in water for 24 hours (your pool works perfectly). If you just carved your pumpkin, spread a coating of vaseline or silicone over all the cut parts including the entire inside. This will help prevent moisture loss and your pumpkin will last longer.

We had a carving party at my house a couple weeks ago, here's a pic of our pumpkins if anyone needs some design ideas.

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-Tom

Reply to
TT

Reply to
George

Will someone share their recipe for pumpkin seeds?

I remember getting some in a box. They were snow white and mighty salty. I have tried several things to duplicate them, but have never succeeded.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) snipped-for-privacy@7cox.net

Reply to
DanG

Turn on the nearest Interstate Hwy, making sure it has an odd number. Head South, drive fast so as to use lots of gas and stop frequently at "convenience" stations. When most of the convenience stations become

7-Eleven's or Loves', stop in and ask for Pepitas.

Bob Swinney

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Reply to
Robert Swinney

(Metal content - foil, baking sheet, the knife that carved the pumpkin)

Well, I can't stand the snow white salty ones, so my recipe may not suit you. As far as I recall, that type involves a great deal of washing (to get the pulp off and ensure pure whiteness) plus a long soak (days) in strong brine to get the salt in (more metal content - your brine quench tank? -ick.) before drying and roasting.

Mine has evolved to pure simplicity - wash most of the pumpkin guts off, separate into a single layer as much as possible, place on aluminum foil on a baking sheet (it's easier to get them unstuck from the foil, and you don't have to clean the sheet) bake at 350F or so until done. If they have clumped up some and you can't get them out into a single layer without going nuts, pull out when they have dried enough that you can get the clumps un-stuck and layed out flatter. Salt - none. Oil - none. Color - plenty of guts still on after the level of washing I bother to do, so brown from carmelized pumpkin guts. I like them.

Reply to
Ecnerwal

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