Pumpkins should be carved on 1 date to ensure they last till Halloween

Halloween is fast approaching and you may have even already started decorating your home for the spooky season. However, you likely won’t have started pumpkin carving yet — and with good reason. No one wants to trick-or-treat at a house with a mouldy pumpkin, and carving now means your creation will certainly have gone off by Halloween.

With this in mind, Matt Marshall, home decoration expert at Quote My Wall, has shared the ideal date to begin carving your pumpkins. He explained: “Once you open up a pumpkin, it starts to rot and attract mould — which is definitely not the kind of scary you want.

“To keep your creation fresh, aim to carve it from October 26 onwards. That way, your pumpkin will still look great come Halloween night.”

However, while you should wait until just a few days before Halloween to carve the pumpkin, you can still head out to your nearest pumpkin patch anytime in the next few weeks.

Matt adds: “Pumpkins can actually last anywhere from eight to twelve weeks. That means you can plan your pumpkin-picking trip well in advance.”

How to pick the perfect pumpkin

Alongside when to carve, Matt has shared some tips on picking the right pumpkin. His first piece of advice is to check for any blemishes or signs of damage, as these can lead to the pumpkin going off much faster than it would otherwise.

Firmness is another key factor. “Soft pumpkin is already starting to rot, whereas a hard one will last longer. And look out for a green stem — that means it’s still unripened and will stay fresher for longer.”

Finally, you should pick the correct size for your carving ability. Smaller pumpkins are trickier to work with, so if you’re not well-versed in carving, it may be a good idea to stick to the bigger ones.