A TikToking grandma has shared the right way to carve a pumpkin and, frankly, it’s absolutely ingenious.
Brunch with Babs (@brunchwithbabs) is a mum-of-four and grandmother of eight who loves sharing her wisdom online to help others.
In one of her latest videos, which has racked up 3.8 million likes, she listed the ‘dos and don’ts of pumpkin carving’ this Halloween, explaining in the caption: “It is a treasured tradition in our family to carve jack-o-lanterns for Halloween. But with all the yuck and mess, sometimes my kids would quit the project before we even started. Babs’ Do’s and Don’ts for Pumpkin Carving, saves the mess and speeds up carving so you can have the perfect jack-o-lantern with no mess and no fuss.”
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In the video, Babs said she would ‘remove all those nasty strings the easier way’, saying her method ‘literally cuts the job in half’.
She first advised placing the pumpkin in your lap to carve, though obviously proceed with huge caution if you’re using anything sharp.
Scooping out the insides with her hand, she then told others: “Don’t do this!”
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Grabbing an electronic mixer, Babs continued: “Use your hand mixer instead to get all those strings scooped out.
“Your mixer did the hard work of losing all those strings.”
Other tips and tricks included using a red marker to draw your design on, as it's 'blends in' more easily than a black marker if any lines or scribbles get left behind, and sprinkling the insides of the pumpkin with cinnamon so that it smells beautifully autumnal when you light a candle inside.
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Babs, who bills herself as ‘everyone’s grandmother’, also suggested carving the pumpkin from the bottom, so that you can simply place the entire thing over a candle rather than reaching to place one inside.
Here are Babs' dos and don'ts of pumpkin carving:
Carve from bottom
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“That way you have the stem to hold onto and you can easily slip the pumpkin right over a candle or flashlight.”
Hold pumpkin in your lap to carve
“You will have a much steadier pumpkin to cut.”
Use a red dry erase marker to sketch your design
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“It erases easily and if you miss a spot, it blends in.”
Use a hand mixer to clean out your pumpkin
“Your mixer [does] the hard work of losing all those strings.”
Use cookie cutters and a rubber mallet to carve your design
“If you don’t want to struggle using a knife to carve your pumpkin, just use a soft-headed mallet and your cookie cutter. I just push it right through.”
Cover all cut surfaces with Vaseline to keep the pumpkin moist after carving
“Pumpkins should last 1-2 weeks carved!”
Sprinkle some cinnamon inside your pumpkin
“If you want a beautifully scented jack-o-lantern, try sprinkling some cinnamon right on the top.”
Jess Hardiman