While it may not be a big deal to some of you non-Arizona folk, this weekend was stunning to those of us who haven’t had below 100 degrees in far too long! We are finally beginning to feel like Summer is actually over, and Fall is here! And of course, with Fall comes pumpkins!! Now maybe if you live in a place that is super cold, you don’t have to worry too much about pumpkins rotting before you are done needing them. But here? Well here in the warmer temps we have to get creative with ways to keep our Pumpkins looking good.
Now a lot of people use a combo of water and bleach to keep their pumpkins looking good for longer, but I am just not in to that. While it may work, I have found other solutions that are natural and work just as well! Here they are:
1- A capful of Thieves cleaner in a sink or bucket full of water. Thats it- just one capful. The cleaner not only cleans the skin of the pumpkin, but it also adds oils that will help keep the pumpkin from rotting early. And if you do this in your kitchen sink, well then you are really winning. I let my pumpkins soak for about 20 minutes, which in turn cleaned my sink for 20 minutes- so when all was rinsed out I had a sparkling clean sink…100% naturally! I already thought I used this cleaner for all the million ways possible, but this was a new one to me! I couldn’t love the multi purpose cleaner more! Also, this works best if you are not carving the pumpkins, so I used this on my mini pumpkins and gourds.
2- For big pumpkins you are carving, once gutted- spray the inside with Peppermint castile soap. I make a mix of 1 tbsp Dr Bronners Peppermint soap in a quart of water and spray the entire inside of the pumpkin. The peppermint is an anti-fungal, so it helps slow down the pumpkins decomposition.
Thats it! With those two tips you will be able to keep your pumpkins {carved or un-carved} for a whole lot longer!! Hope you liked this Monday Tip!! As always, let me know if there is anything you are wanting to see a tip on!
*If you are wanting more info on the Thieves cleaner, just let me know in the comments!
