Why carve a pumpkin from the bottom

We have lots of great conversations, we'd love you to join us, click here. Top or Bottom, and why? October 20, PM Subscribe How should we carve our pumpkin, from the top or from the bottom? I have this huge pumpkin we'll be carving for Halloween. I've been raised to only carve the pumpkin from the top. My pumpkin carving kit says to carve from the bottom.

Is there any cons to carving from the bottom that I should be aware of? In my experience the cut parts get mushie and rotten faster. I would never cut from the bottom because I would be worried about it being harder to clean up if left out to long.

Response by poster: If I did go in through the bottom, I wouldn't use a candle. I would use a pumpkin light I've seen them for sale , or maybe just a shaky stick. I may do that anyways, even if I go in through the top. Do they give a rationale for carving from the bottom? To hide the cut? Martha Stewart says : "If you'll be using a candle for illumination, you can cut the hole in the pumpkin's top always put the candle in a high-sided glass, and never leave unattended.

For electric lights, make the hole in the bottom or side so you can hide the cord. I was a top-carver, from a long line of top-carvers, but I've come to see the value in carving from the bottom; you're much less likely to burn yourself when lighting the damned candle. You simply set the candle down and then place the pumpkin over it. I haven't had any problems with mess or mush, at least no more than with top-carved pumpkins. Response by poster: They don't give any rationale at all.

If they gave some reason, I could easily accept or reject their reasoning. But since they don't say why, I'm left wondering if its a better way. It does sit at an awkward angle, but since it will be on our lanai 2nd story , the angle ends up being absolutely perfect.

Response by poster: Oh, I guess I should've refreshed. That electric light reason makes sense for the bottom. So does the not burning yourself with a candle. Aloha, we just use the candle that has a battery so there is no flame to worry about. I once saw a pumpkin carved like a coach. Big pretzels were used for wheels. Any ideas? Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed. Your kids will never be bored again! Jackie Currie. Comments I love this idea! That is a great idea! It would make it so much easier to get the seeds and stuff out.

I am so not a fan of gutting pumpkins…any method to make it easier is a winner in my book! Thank you so much. Cutting about 1 inch in from outside edge, cut and discard bottom from pumpkin. If the flesh inside is very thick, gently cut or scrape away any excess to about a 1-inch thickness.

Templates use negative space to create designs. You will cut away the dark areas. Tape desired template to the "front" of your upright pumpkin. If you have trouble making it fit, cut small slits in edges of template paper to ease it around the curved surface. Carefully remove template. Save the pattern to use as a guide. It won't be long before it falls right in.

Photo by Gene Gallin on Unsplash; Canva. Anyone that has ever carved a pumpkin from the top knows that you have to cut the lid at an angle so it doesn't fall in. Sometimes you just don't cut it correctly, and your lid falls in. It might fall in immediately. Other times, it might seem okay, but a few days later, as the pumpkin rots and shrinks, the lid can't hold on anymore and falls through.

When you cut your hole into the bottom of the pumpkin, you should also cut toward the center of the pumpkin so it sits firmly on the bottom. However, if your cuts don't work out, it's not as big a deal, because the pumpkin can still sit without the cut-out bottom part.

By cutting your hole in the bottom, you don't risk having a bad lid, and you don't have to start all over if you goof up. Creating a lid uses up a lot of precious pumpkin real estate!

This carver would've had room for eyebrows and other flourishes if they had cut from the bottom instead. Photo by Miguel Teirlinck on Unsplash. The cuts for the lid reduce the amount of space you have to carve. This is especially true when you're cutting a smaller pumpkin, since you have to cut the lid large enough to fit your hand through.

By cutting the hole on the bottom, where you can't see it, you have more space at the top to carve without hitting the lid. Is there nothing left in the pumpkin patch but misshapen, wobbly pumpkins? No problem! You can level them up when you cut from the bottom. Not all pumpkins are naturally inclined to stand straight up. Some want to lay on their sides, and some just lean over a bit. By cutting the pumpkin on the bottom, you can give it a flat bottom.

This is also handy for tipping the pumpkin's "head" up a little bit. When you have control over how the pumpkin sits, you can use pumpkins that you wouldn't have considered carving with a lid. This means you have more choices at the pumpkin patch, and sometimes you can get a better deal.

Plus, if you've procrastinated and find that the pumpkin patch has slim pickings, you can still use one of the lesser-quality pumpkins that are left. When you cut from the bottom, you can simply place your pumpkin over the lit candle instead of trying to light the candle from above. No more burns! This is a simple issue of safety. When you reach down into a pumpkin to light it, the flame comes right back up toward your hand.

By cutting your hole in the bottom of the pumpkin, you take away this possibility completely. Instead, you can simply place the candle where you want the pumpkin to be, and then set the pumpkin over it.