Halloween is this October 31! And in the run-up to the festivities (costume parties, trick-or-treating, etc.), you can get into the spirit by decorating your home with ghosts and skeletons, just to set the tone... And of course, one of the must-have items is the hollowing-out pumpkin, THE symbol of this festival of Anglo-Celtic origin, exported to the United States and then imported to France a few years ago .
For those of you who've never dug pumpkins before and want to take advantage of this new confinement to keep the kids busy over the All Saints' weekend, we've got a step-by-step DIY tutorial to create the scariest pumpkin for Halloween.
How to dig a beautiful pumpkin for Halloween :
Head to the supermarket, with your certificate, to buy a pumpkin. Size doesn't really matter, but larger pumpkins are easier to decorate and carve.
Using a marker (or felt-tip pen), draw the shape you want to carve on the face of your squash. You can use a template, a tracing paper or, if you're feeling artistic, create your own pattern.
Using a knife, cut off the top of the pumpkin to make a hat, paying attention to the angle of the knife. To do this, push your knife in at an angle, then work your way around your pumpkin, keeping that same slant. If you cut straight down, the pumpkin hat won't hold. For children, always do this in the company of an adult to avoid cutting yourself.
Remove the seeds first, using a spoon for most of the work, then by hand for the rest. Don't hesitate to use a melon scoop if you have one to finish the job. You can keep the seeds, which can be prepared as an aperitif (blanch them, then pan-fry or bake them with salt and spices).
Use your knife to carve the pumpkin, following the lines of the marker/pen. Note that if you opt for a face (eyes and mouth) as a motif, don't hesitate to carve the mouth in several stages, gradually removing the pieces to be removed. This is not necessarily a recommended task for children.
Once the sculpture is finished, the result is still a bit messy on the inside. With your knife, fine-tune the details by enlarging the openings over the eyes and mouth (if you choose this motif) so that the light from a candle can pass through and make the whole thing pretty. Don't hesitate to remove as much flesh as possible from the inside of the pumpkin to homogenize it, and save it for making soup.
Once you're satisfied with the result, place a candle (available from your local store) at the bottom of your gourd. When evening comes, light it.
Happy Halloween, everyone!
