Preserving Jack

Pumpkins come to life with carving tools and candles! This magical experience has become an annual tradition for many.

But wow, it’s a lot of work! Simple Jack-O-Lantern faces are being challenged by intricate artistry. I’m still partial to the toothy grin, though! Regardless, you want to preserve your scooping and sculpting for as many days as possible. Spray your pumpkin creation with this simple mixture to prevent it from being quickly ruined by mold and rot.

History of the Jack-O-Lantern

Jack-O-Lanterns started with an Irish folktale about a man named Stingy Jack who tricked the devil more than once. His trickery resulted in the devil changing forms and being trapped in his transfigured state. In exchange for the promise of keeping his soul out of hell, Jack would release the devil back to his original form. Normalcy would last at least for a little while, until the game of trickery between Jack and the Devil started again.

Eventually time caught up with Jack, and he died in his earthly body. God did not accept him into heaven, and the devil kept his soul out of hell as promised. He roamed the Irish nights with his one piece of coal granted to him by the devil. Farmers protected themselves from the roaming spirit of Jack of the Lantern by carving faces into turnips and adding candles or coals. Over time, pumpkins came to be used instead, and Irish immigrants brought this tradition with them to America.

Pumpkin Preserving Spray

Ingredients

• 2 ounce spray bottle
• 10 drops Thieves essential oil blend
• 5 drops Tea Tree essential oil
• Witch Hazel

Directions

Add the drops of Thieves and then the Tea Tree to the bottle. Fill the remainder of the bottle with Witch Hazel. Screw on the spray top. Spray your carved jack-o-lanterns every 1 to 2 days with the mixture.