How to properly dry a decorative pumpkin for crafts

A person should eat pumpkin throughout the year. However, the question immediately arises of how to store the pumpkin in winter. What methods will help preserve valuable substances in this vegetable? What to do to keep the pumpkin from losing its taste? How to store cut pumpkin?

Before answering these questions, remember that late-ripening varieties are stored much better than others. After all, someone wants to use it as a decoration for Halloween. Others prefer baked pumpkin in the oven or porridge.

What can be made from pumpkin

The first thing that comes to mind is a Halloween head. But this is not the end of the decorative "abilities" of the steep culture.

The simplest candlesticks, lanterns or boxes (it all depends on the size of the workpiece).

• Openwork lamps or clocks that perfectly complement the interior of the living room or gazebo.

  

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• Toys of varying degrees of difficulty - faces and boats, carriages or "prefabricated" little men from several pumpkins.

  

It turns out that the range of handicrafts made from a prepared decorative pumpkin is limited only by the imagination of the master. But no less important role is played by the blanks themselves, which are worth mentioning separately.

Necessary materials

To cut a craft, you will need not only a bright orange or yellow vegetable. We'll have to arm ourselves with the following tools:

• knives of different sizes;
• marker;
• awl;
• scissors, scotch tape;
• a spoon with pointed edges;
• prepared template;
• flashlight or candle (can be replaced with a garland).

For the cutting to be successful, you need to choose the right main component - the vegetable itself. It should be smooth, free from visible defects, dents.

Color and shape also play a big role. It is better to choose a round, slightly elongated pumpkin, the color should be bright. The larger the vegetable, the more interesting the holiday lamp will turn out, even if it is larger and will take longer to work. And on small vegetables it is inconvenient to cut out faces.

Choosing a pumpkin for decoration

A small plant weighing from 100 to 500 g is best suited for such purposes. You can take all ripe and healthy "kruglyashi" from this weight category. Fruits with more impressive "dimensions", in turn, are distinguished by thicker pulp, which is more likely to rot than reach the required condition.

Naturally, the pumpkin should be intact, without scratches, let alone cracks. The place of gathering and its time are no less important. So, the best choice would be a fruit hanging on a dried brown lash. But unripe, too loose or "caught" by the first frost, specimens should be immediately put aside.

A separate topic is decorative melon lines. The most popular of them are the following varieties:

• "Orange"really like citrus. Small size (up to 300 g) in combination with bright color make such fruits a desirable decoration. In appearance, they can be either spherical or slightly flattened.
• "Mandarin"... These crumbs are easily recognizable by the smooth skin with underdeveloped ribs.
• "Chalmoid"... Differs in an unusual type of fruit, which is, as it were, collected from two parts. The variety is considered large and amazes with a variety of design options. Instances with a large upper half are often called fungi.
• "Baby Boo", which, due to its small (10 cm) diameter and white color, can be mistaken for a giant garlic.
• "Kleine Bicolor"... The contrasting color scheme of the "pear" is emphasized by a clear border: a dark green bottom with light stripes is replaced by a rich yellow top.
• "Sweet Dumpling"... Quite large (400-500 g) fruits with ribs delight the eye with alternating white or yellowish "edges" and green stripes with frequent white dots along their entire length.

Why the pumpkin is a symbol of Halloween

The original Halloween celebration was to mark the end of the harvest. And, of course, the whole rich autumn harvest was the main character of the holiday. But in ancient times, night watchmen walked with lanterns. The Irish have a legend about Miserly Jack, who is doomed to walk the earth with his lantern until the Day of Judgment.

His lantern was a turnip, since medieval Europe was not familiar with the pumpkin.

According to legend, during his lifetime, Jack was extremely stingy, sharp-witted, but not very honest. Once he invited the devil to drink together, but he did not want to pay for the drink. Then Jack offered the unclean person to turn into a coin for payment, and then put this coin into a pocket with a cross, which did not allow the devil to get out.

After his death, Jack was not accepted into heaven because of his not too honest life, and the devil, remembering the deception, refused Jack a place in hell. And the poor fellow went back to earth. And so that he had something to light his way, he was handed a coal, which he inserted into his turnip. This is how the Jack-Lantern was born.

The immigrants from Europe who flooded to America found many new plants there, which they used for their already existing traditions. Jack swapped out his turnip for a pumpkin lantern. In addition to the fact that the large-fruited pumpkin has always grown in abundance, it completely coincides with the theme of the harvest and the colors of autumn.

This is how the tradition of the Irish holiday and one of its characters gained worldwide popularity.

Did you know? In the United States, the celebration of Halloween is accompanied by many great events and unusual records. In 2013, Stephen Clarke set the Jack Lantern carving record in 16.47 seconds.

Preparation

Even before you dry the pumpkin you like to get crafts out of it, you will have to properly prepare it. This process is not fraught with special tricks and boils down to the following procedures:

• To begin with, the peel is washed in soapy water and thoroughly dried.
• After that, the fetus is rubbed with alcohol or any liquids with its "participation".
• It remains to transfer the pumpkin to a place protected from sunlight. There should be good ventilation in such a room. The workpiece will stay there until its shell begins to change color (this is about 1-2 weeks).

Preparation for the long-term drying process

Before you dry the pumpkin for crafts, you need to properly prepare it. The surface of the fruit is washed with soapy water and dries well. Then the pumpkin is wiped with alcohol or any other alcohol-containing liquids.

After that, the decor material is transferred for a week to a well-ventilated room, isolated from direct sunlight. There the pumpkin remains until the color of the shell changes. This usually happens in 1-2 weeks. Hardening and darkening of the shell is an indicator that the surface of the pumpkin is dry.

How to dry a pumpkin for long-term storage

Proper drying is a delicate process that also requires a lot of patience. If the fruit of the usual form can dry from 3 months to six months, then more "tosltoshkur" lagenaria will take at least 10 months (or even 1 year).

The main rule is that shrinkage should be natural. Some try to speed up its progress by "running" it in the microwave or oven, but this negates all the decorative effect of the fruit: at the slightest mistake, the pumpkin will turn out to be baked, and it will be wiser to eat it.With this heat treatment, the structure of the fibers is disturbed, and as a result, the peel loses the necessary rigidity.

Therefore, it will be better to let the moisture exit "by chance". The role of drainage is assigned to the pores covering the surface of the fruit and the peduncle. Immediately before drying the whole ripe pumpkin selected for decoration, you will have to put an oilcloth or a piece of thick film under it - over time, it gives a natural leak. This is a prerequisite for storage in the room.

This method is the most massive and simple, but it has its own nuances that it is advisable to keep in mind:

• The fruits are laid out (or better - hung) on ​​the loggia or balcony. If "lying" storage is planned, try to place the pumpkin on a table with frequent gaps between the slats - they will provide proper ventilation.
• Do not forget about constant air circulation (for these reasons, solid countertops and closed cabinets, warm kitchens or musty cellars are not suitable).
• For the first couple of weeks, the blanks are inspected every day, rejecting overly soft or wrinkled specimens. There is one tricky point here related to mold. It can appear on the peel from moisture dripping from the fruit. Such "traces" are easily erased, but after a couple of days they reappear. It's not scary - at the end of drying you will see an unusual pattern on the "skin" of the vegetable.

How to determine readiness

Having found out the main details of drying, we will not forget about such a question as checking the readiness of the product for artistic processing.

It can be determined by its color: a fruit that has completely dried from the inside will fade a little (if an ordinary pumpkin was used). Lagenaria, on the other hand, change their green color to yellowish brown or become completely brown.

To finally be convinced of the result, take the vegetable in your hands - it should significantly lose weight. Do not be too lazy to shake it too: the dull sound of achenes jumping inside indicates the already formed "decorativeness" of the workpiece. After such a simple test, you can safely cook a pumpkin for Halloween, fortunately, now you know how to dry it "inside and out."

How to store decorative pumpkin and crafts from it

Finished products made from prepared fruits have a long shelf life. So that they please with their appearance for many years, you need to remember a few simple rules:

• The room temperature should be within + 12 ... + 28 ° С. Sharp drops are contraindicated.
• Dampness and contact with moisture are excluded. The same goes for the sun's rays. The best option would be to keep it in a dry, dark corner.
• Immediately after processing (cutting or varnishing), it is advisable to open the surface with a colorless nail polish or transparent furniture varnish. This will preserve the "structure" for a long time and will not allow it to crack or get wet when a few drops of water get in.

• They try not to keep the dried "artistic" vegetable outdoors in the open (regardless of the season). To decorate gardens and gazebos, it will have to be shaded.

Now you know how to make a masterpiece of applied art out of a seemingly inconspicuous culture. We hope everything will work out without much difficulty. Success in creative work!

The best place is the cellar

If you are a lucky owner of a cellar, you are very lucky. But this does not mean that you can bring the fruits and forget about them for a long time. First you need to prepare the room itself. In the basement or cellar, vegetables are taken out that are unsuitable for food. They wash the shelves. If it's a basement, then so is the floor. Ideally, there should be banks that are tightly closed.

Housewives know that in order to preserve the pumpkin well, you need to select it correctly. Pay attention to the stalk. The integrity of this part of the fruit will ensure that the vegetable does not start to rot. The optimal stalk length ranges from 8 to 10 cm.

But if the pumpkin is damaged, do not worry, it can still be saved. Small scratches made during the harvest are sealed with a bactericidal plaster. When winter comes, try to use these vegetables first.

Most often, there are no floors in the cellar, the earth begins immediately. Do not place fruits on damp ground. To do this, you can make special racks, if there are none. They are covered with straw or hay. In this case, the stalk should be on top.

Make sure there is a little space between each pumpkin. If the vegetable starts to rot, then it will not be able to spoil its "neighbor". Inspections can be carried out from time to time to prevent the development of rot.

What decorative varieties and breeds are there?

The following types of pumpkins are used as decor:

• Lagenaria. It has a "bottle" shape and can be used to make a bottle, ladle, vase and more. It is green in color, but turns yellow-brown during drying.
• Cucurbita. Not a large pumpkin of bright colors (red, orange, golden). After a couple of months of drying, the colors fade. Lanterns and flower pots are made from these fruits.

There are also a variety of decorative pumpkin varieties, some of the most popular are:

• Mandarin. Small pumpkins with smooth skin and not very prominent ribs.
• Chalmoid. The fruit looks as if it consists of several parts. The pumpkin of this variety is large and has a whimsical appearance, the upper part often resembles a mushroom cap.
• Sweet Dumpling. A large vegetable with ribs. The color alternates with white, yellow, green stripes and white spots.
• Orange. Globular or flattened small fruits of bright color.
• Little Boo. Small white pumpkins that look like huge garlic.

How to dry a pumpkin for decoration?

What tools and devices are used? Sometimes kitchen utensils are used to dry the pumpkin as a decor. But in this case, there is a chance that the vegetable will simply bake, and not dry out and then deteriorate very quickly.

You can use the following devices and temperature conditions for drying:

• Dry in an oven at a temperature of 80 degrees. The vegetable is placed in the center of the oven and periodically turned clockwise.
• In the airfryer, the drying temperature is approximately 70 degrees.
• Pumpkin is dried in an electric dryer at 80 degrees.
• In the microwave, drying is carried out at 600 watts.

During the drying process in any of the devices, you need to turn the fruit from side to side so that it does not burn out.

How to dry whole? Whole squash can be dried whole in two ways:

• Using the devices listed above.
• Natural drying in a well-ventilated area or on a garden bed will be very effective, but very long-lasting.

How to dry cut? Piece by piece can also be dried in these two ways. To do this, you need to prepare, cut the pumpkin into the necessary pieces and remove the fibers and seeds.

Which drawing to choose?

The classic pattern for the lamp is Jack's face. It is distinguished by narrow menacing eyes and a grin. Sometimes a trapezoid-nose is cut out. But it is not at all necessary to repeat after everyone, you can create your own decor.

It is easy to cut using ready-made stencils:

• a cat;
• bat;
• moon or month;
• stars;
• ghost face;
• spider.

It will be interesting to look at pumpkins in which the walls have not been cut through. It is enough to remove the skin in the places of the pattern and scrape out the wall itself a little. If placed inside the lamp, such areas will stand out with a soft matte glow. This technique allows you to create discreet, but original drawings.

For a children's room, you can build a temporary night light that will create the effect of a starry sky.

The easiest option is to make a lot of regular holes. Through them, the light of the "stars" will fall on the walls and ceiling. A more difficult, but pleasant option for a child is to cut out real five-pointed stars, a month.

Principles of natural vegetable drying

How to dry a DIY pumpkin quickly? If a decorative pumpkin product is not planned to be stored for a long time, then you can use the express drying method. It includes the following actions:

• Prepare the pumpkin in the usual way;
• Cutting off the top. Make the cut even and for this use a large sharp knife;
• Remove the pulp by scraping with a spoon so that nothing is left on the walls, otherwise the pumpkin will mold in a few days.
• Wipe the inner surface of the vegetable with a cloth soaked in alcoholic liquid;
• Stuffing a vegetable with paper (preferably newspapers);
• Next, you should put the pumpkin in a ventilated dark place and constantly change the filling inside it as the paper gets wet.

How to dry a decorative pumpkin correctly and for a long time, but with high quality? Natural drying remains the best way. For this method, small fruits are chosen, whole, without dents, rotting and mold.

IMPORTANT: When cutting a pumpkin from a plant, be sure to leave a small tail. It will help the vegetable to release moisture into the environment.

Preparation of the fruit is the most common: wash in warm water, dry and treat with alcohol.

The natural drying process can take 6-18 months. It depends on the thickness of the skin, the amount of pulp, the size of the fruit and the environmental conditions.

Rules for this type of drying pumpkin:

• For drying, you need to take the number of pumpkins with a margin. There is a chance that not all will dry out. Some deteriorate early in the process;
• The fruits should not be in contact;
• The drying room must be well ventilated;
• It is important that there is no direct sunlight on the fruits;
• You can put the pumpkin on an oilcloth so that moisture can drain onto it, and even better - on wooden pallets with a large gap between the lamellas so that the pumpkin has a good supply of air;
• Every day at the beginning of drying, you need to inspect the fruit for rot. Then the examination can be done once a week. All soft perishable pumpkins must be removed immediately, otherwise they will infect healthy ones.
• If small areas of mold appear on the peel from the moisture released, you can remove it and wipe the area with alcohol.

How to harvest correctly?

A lot depends on this event - it is impossible to carry out a high-quality drying process using spoiled material.

When collecting decorative material in the garden, you need to follow a certain technology.

1. The crop is harvested after the stalks of the plant are dry and brown.
2. The fruits are removed by cutting off the stalk at a distance of 6-10 cm from the plant, without breaking it off at the base.
3. Damaged, rotten, spoiled pumpkins are discarded - their place on the compost heap.
   

   Advice

   The fruit should look perfect, as even a small speck of rot can cover a large area in a few weeks.

4. You do not need to wait until frost to pick up slightly unripe decorative pumpkins - their color may change for the worse.

Large specimens intended for food and feed purposes are almost impossible to dry due to the large amount of dense bulky pulp. We'll have to leave them for delicious porridge, candied baked pumpkin and a carriage for Cinderella.

How to make a Halloween pumpkin and how to store it?

You can start preparing pumpkins for this holiday a few months before. They choose varieties with a not very hard skin so that you can easily cut scary faces on the vegetable. You can cook using the natural drying method. Also, if there is no time, you can use the fast drying method with stuffing with newspapers.

In order to extend the shelf life of pumpkins for Halloween, products are treated with special antiseptic solutions abroad.In our regions, you can try sprinkling the pumpkin inside with a whiteness solution to prevent the growth of microorganisms.

How to dry a bottle gourd?

Bottle gourd is quite light, and when dried it becomes almost weightless. This species does not allow moisture to pass through itself well. Fruit preparation and drying process are normal. Some nuances of drying this type of pumpkin:

• A natural drying method is used for this species and it is recommended to carry it out outdoors.
• The oven and other appliances are not used so that the fruit retains its shape and dries evenly.
• This pumpkin is dried hanging or on a wire rack.
• For the first few weeks, keep the pumpkin in a bright place, but without direct sunlight, when the pumpkin hardens, it is moved to a dark room and dried until it is ready.

How to determine readiness?

The readiness of the pumpkin is determined by the following indicators:

• By color. Dried vegetable should tarnish, Lagenaria usually turns yellowish brown.
• The vegetable is losing its weight.
• If you shake the pumpkin, then it makes a dull sound of galloping seeds inside it.

Conditions and shelf life of dried pumpkin for decoration

Finished dried fruits can be stored for a very long time. To do this, you must comply with the following conditions:

• The room temperature should be 12-28 degrees without sudden changes.
• Eliminate dampness and contact with moisture.
• Direct sunlight should not fall on the decorative item.
• Immediately after processing the pumpkin (for example, cutting it out), it is recommended to varnish its surface to extend the shelf life.

Process directly

The best thing is to pre-outline the drawing that you will cut out. Draw on the pumpkin with a marker or pencil, scratch slightly with a thin knife, in a word - outline the scope of work. Or simply transfer from a stencil.

Next, you need to cut out the bottom or top to provide access to the cavity. If you cut the bottom of a pumpkin for Halloween, it doesn't matter how you cut it. If you cut off the lid, then cut it at an angle so that the inside of the lid is noticeably smaller than the outer one - then it will not fall down.

The contents of the pumpkin are taken out with a spoon. With the same spoon, you need to properly scrape out the walls, especially on the side where the image will be. The ideal thickness is about 2.5 centimeters.

The process of carving a pumpkin for Halloween with your own hands is not difficult. But you should first practice a little on some unnecessary pumpkin in order to understand exactly how to make cuts, how to stick a knife, with what force to press. And for a start, it is better not to take on something large-scale and complex. Training in this matter does not hurt.

How to choose a pumpkin for drying and creativity

The key to getting a good result is the selection of the correct fruit. Not every variety is suitable for drying and making crafts. Decorative varieties have a rounded shape and pronounced bulges. The surface of the "inedible" pumpkin has an even orange or brown color. It is easy to determine the maturity of a decorative pumpkin. You need to shake the cut fruit - if you can hear the rumble of seeds inside, it means that the harvest is ripe.

The size of the vegetable is chosen based on your creative idea. The smaller the product should be, the smaller the fruit can be taken. It is better to refuse from self-drying giant fruits!

Regardless of the grade and size chosen, the surface must be firm, even, free from dents, soft spots or signs of decay. Only a healthy fruit will produce a full-fledged dry harvest. It is important that the pumpkin has a stalk. If the fruit is cut incorrectly, the juice will leak out during the drying process, and the insides will start to deteriorate.

Popular varieties of decorative pumpkin:

• Small orange (8-10 cm in diameter);
• Small warty (10-16 cm in diameter);
• Pear-shaped (10-12 cm long);
• Ten praises (10-15 cm in diameter);
• Large-fruited turban (30-50 cm in diameter);
• Lagenaria ordinary ("bottle");
• Baby boo (diameter 10 cm).

Food Grade Drying Methods

In the microwave

Ornamental pumpkin Swan is one of the varieties of Lagenaria. Scourge plants are fast-growing with rounded, large leaves. The culture is demanding for heat, light, watering. It is better to plant it with seedlings when the air and soil warm up to 17 - 20 degrees.

Of interest are the pumpkin fruits, similar to swans with refined curved necks. The peel of such decorative fruits is dense, colored dark green with white specks.

The variety is characterized as fast growing. If all the requirements of agricultural technology are met, 8 to 12 fruits can be collected from one ornamental bush per season.

Fruits of pear-shaped decorative pumpkin grow up to 12 - 18 cm in diameter. Their colors are varied. There are yellow, cream, white, red, green, orange varieties.

Two-colored, variegated or striped decorative pumpkins-pears with a clearly drawn transverse border (Klein bicolour) look beautiful on the site.

The Texas variety with large pear-shaped watermelon-like fruits belongs to the same subgroup. Their colors are dark green with yellow, forming a background, on which light transverse stripes are superimposed.

The Korona decorative pumpkin variety is one of the most spectacular and unusual. Its bright yellow or yellow-green fruits rarely grow more than 12-15 cm in diameter. They are star-shaped, umbrella-shaped, crown-shaped.

The stems of the pumpkin are ribbed, grow to 3 - 4 m in length, ideal for the formation of hedges, arches. The leaves have a deep, rich emerald hue, which favorably sets off single large flowers.

Decorative pumpkin Fango is a fast-growing variety with wrinkled thorny leaves and large, white, funnel-shaped flowers. Ripe fruits look very attractive, resembling variegated mushroom caps.

For proper growth and a good harvest, Fango pumpkin is planted in sunny areas. It is thermophilic, does not tolerate a cold snap or drying out of the soil.

Shoots are used for vertical gardening of a veranda or gazebo, and various decorative compositions are made from the fruits.

The decorative pumpkin Borovichok belongs to the turban-shaped varieties. Its fruits are shaped like a mushroom with a large red cap and a thick light leg. Such an interesting feature is actively used to decorate autumn compositions, children's creativity, and design of rooms in a rustic style.

The flowers of the plant are large, white, funnel-shaped. They appear in early June. Active flowering lasts about a month.

Borovichok - prefers sunny, warm, fertile areas. For successful seed germination, the soil temperature should not fall below 20 degrees. The plant actively responds to fertilization, timely watering, weeding and loosening.

The variety is suitable for horizontal and vertical decoration of flower beds, flower beds, hedges, arches, country flowerpots.

Decorative pumpkin Artist is a mixture of small varieties, different in terms of ripening, appearance, color, shape.

Scourges are fast-growing, reaching 4 m per season. With sufficient timely watering and feeding, they form lush greenery.

In June - July, the plant is covered with large yellow flowers, in the place of which small (about 200–400 g) pumpkins appear over time.

The variety is planted for vertical gardening, masking unsightly walls, and decorating openings.

Ornamental pumpkin Indy is a mixture of pear-shaped varieties of various shapes, sizes, colors.

The lashes of this variety are long, cling well to the support, and actively grow. Fruits gain weight quickly and may need additional support.

We suggest that you familiarize yourself with: Cherry plum: description, planting from a bone at home

Shehrezade of the star

The color of the fruits of the decorative pumpkin Shahrezad star is varied. They are yellow, white, milky, green, bicolor, striped or speckled. The diameter of the pumpkins does not exceed 10 cm.

Shahrezada belongs to the subgroup of star gourds. Its shape is flattened, oblong, resembling a squash - with more pointed, elongated edges.

The variety is suitable for vertical growth.

Lagenaria is the original name for an extensive group of decorative pumpkins, which have a variety of elongated, elongated shapes.

The variety is suitable for vertical decoration, the lashes grow very quickly. In July, pale pink or white large flowers on long stems appear on them.

The shape of the fruits of the decorative pumpkin is varied, which can be estimated from the photo.

The pumpkin rind is very hard, which makes it possible to use these vegetables for making dishes: jugs, decanters, bottles with a narrow neck and a stable base.

Lagenaria can be eaten. This applies to young shoots no more than 30 - 40 cm long.

The variety can be grown outdoors, in a greenhouse, on a balcony or loggia.

Bottle

Bottle gourds are a large subgroup of decorative pumpkins with a narrow, elongated top and rounded bottom. Fruits in shape may resemble a jug, swan, mace.

Another name for the variety is dishware or gourd. Since ancient times, light, durable, environmentally friendly utensils have been obtained from dried, peeled vegetables: bottles, flasks, jugs.

The fruits of the mini-pumpkin of the Mandarin variety are small, about 5 - 7 cm in diameter, round, bright orange in color. In appearance, they are similar to the fruit of the same name. The foliage of the plant has a rich emerald hue.

The variety is suitable for cooking, but is more often used as a mini-pot, an original bowl or cocotte.

Refers to turban pumpkins. The upper part of the vegetable is massive, its color is rich orange, red, green. The lower half is smaller, with a white, pale green, speckled color. In appearance, color, ripening time, the culture resembles the Borovichok variety.

The fungus is recognized as the most frost and drought resistant variety, it is not susceptible to disease. The pulp of pumpkin has a fibrous and watery structure and a bitter taste.

What it takes to dry a pumpkin for a craft

The process of drying an ornamental vegetable should be approached carefully. Drying preparation:

1. Wipe off obvious dirt with a soft cloth.
2. Rinse the surface under warm running water.
3. Dry with a towel.
4. Leave in a dry, dark place for 60 minutes, then wipe again with a dry cloth.
5. Make sure the peel is completely dry.

Further drying can take place indoors at room temperature (there is a high risk that the vegetable will rot). Also, you can speed up the process using various tools:

• airfryer;
• electric dryer for berries;
• microwave;
• oven.

How to dry a pumpkin for needlework

You can dry the decorative pumpkin in whole, or in parts, depending on the desired result. There are several methods for preparing a vegetable for creativity.

Drying whole

To obtain a whole piece, a small fruit is chosen. Drying can be done in a dry, insect-free room. It will take at least 3 months, during which the vegetable is regularly turned over, checking for rot or mold. You can also use an oven.

In the oven

The easiest and fastest drying method. Algorithm of actions:

1. Preheat the oven to 60 degrees, and put the pumpkin on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Keep the door open.
2. Turn the vegetable over and check every 10-15 minutes.
3. Dry for 2-8 hours, depending on size.

In this way, both pumpkin slices and the whole fruit are dried.

Tips for making temporary crafts

If you plan to make a craft out of the product for Halloween or some kind of exhibition, you can use a special drying method.It will allow you to get an original product with a shelf life of no more than 2-3 weeks.

• The decorative pumpkin is washed and dried. After that, you need to cut off the top from it and completely remove the pulp. A custom spoon or a handy construction scraper can help.
• Now the inner and outer surfaces of the product must be disinfected. At home, you should use alcohol or vodka for this. We moisten a sponge in the selected product, with which we blot the material.
• We stuff the prepared fruit with newspapers and put it in a dry and warm place. A shelf on a sunny wall, a cabinet surface, even a window sill will do.
• We change newspapers every 6-8 hours as they get wet. Drying time is 2-3 days.

It should be noted that the product will dry much longer if the ambient temperature is below 22 ° C. High humidity in the room can also do a poor job.

How to determine readiness

There are several signs that the fetus is ready for further creativity:

1. Dry pumpkin is brown on the outside as well as on the inside.
2. The rind should be firm and the inside dry.
3. When weighed, dried fruit weighs significantly less than fresh fruit.
4. If the fruit was dried whole, when you shake it, you can hear how the seeds "ring".

Advice

In order to get an excellent result the first time, it is worth following some recommendations:

1. Do not use large specimens grown for food for creativity.
2. The pulp of the "cucurbita" variety dries 2 times faster than the pulp of the "lagenaria".
3. The lower the temperature in the room, the longer it will take to dry.
4. If the peel is peeling, it is sanded with a sandpaper.
5. When preparing the vegetable for Halloween, the flesh should be slightly damp. Therefore, vegetables begin to be prepared 1.5 months before the party.