How to carve a pumpkin

How to carve a Jack-O-Lantern.

Halloween is not Halloween without a pumpkin, whether is be pumpkin soup, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake or pumpkin decorations.

Chef Jeena has carved a pumpkin and turned it into a lantern with step-by-step instructions.

You can remove some of the pumpkin flesh before it has been used as a Jack-O-Lantern. This way you can have fun at halloween and cook something tasty too.

Remember that although kids love Halloween, carving pumpkins is not for kids and children should be kept well away from the table that the pumpkin is carved on.

Take your time carving your pumpkin there is no need to rush.

Chef cuts a large lid into the pumpkin so that there is plenty of room to remove some of the pumpkin flesh for cooking with.

You do not have to remove any of the pumpkin flesh to eat it is up to you.

It really is fun and exciting to light a pumpkin lantern at night that you have carved yourself.

Remember to use your common sense whilst carving, but most of all have fun with your pumpkin and have a great Halloween.

What you will need

1 Pumpkin
1 Sharp knife or Pumpkin carving tools
1 Metal spoon
1 Metal skewer


Picture of a carved pumpkin and two bags of pumpkin flesh.

How to carve a pumpkin for Halloween

Take a pumpkin and find the best part of the pumpkin to carve the face on.

Use a pencil to draw a face on the pumpkin. You can use a stencil or just draw the face directly onto the pumpkin.

Use a metal skewer to poke little holes through the pumpkin skin around the pencil lines.

The face should resemble a dot-to-dot picture.

Once the face is done draw a line around the top of the pumpkin in the shape of a circle.

If you want to eat the flesh of the pumpkin make sure that the circle is a big one so that you have room to scrap out the pumpkin flesh from inside.

Use the sharp knife to cut around the circle at the top of the pumpkin.

Face the knife inwards rather than directly downwards, this helps the lid stay on because of the angle you cut the hole.

Slice the seeds and stringy flesh from the lid.

Use your hands and the metal spoon to remove all of the seeds from the pumpkin.

You should be left with a clean empty pumpkin.

If you want to eat the flesh of the pumpkin follow these steps.

Use your sharp knife to very carefully slice lines around the inside of the pumpkin, only do this is the flesh of the pumpkin is soft and the knife easily slices the pumpkin flesh.

Be sure not to press too hard as you do not want to pierce the pumpkin.

Remember to take your time, never rush when using a knife to carve any vegetable, care and patience must be taken.

Use the spoon to then dig into the lines that you sliced into the pumpkin and continue to scrap off the pumpkin flesh.

Remove the pumpkin flesh as you go along.

It is best to slice a few lines at a time then remove the pumpkin flesh between each time.

You should be left with lots of scraps of pumpkin flesh.

You will not be able to remove all of the pumpkin flesh, stop when you feel you have removed enough.

Use the knife or another small carving utensil to carve out the face.

Be very careful and always face the knife away from your body, NEVER carve a vegetable with the knife facing yourself, direct the knife away from you.

Push the eyes, nose and mouth out from inside the pumpkin.

Remember to take your time.

Now you have your perfect carved pumpkin for halloween.

Place a tea light candle into the pumpkin at night to turn the pumpkin into a halloween lantern.