Halloween, here are the instructions for carving a perfect pumpkin

The handbook is edited by Coldiretti, which celebrates 'Zucca Day'

ROME - The growing popularity of the witches' night has opened the new "market" of carved pumpkins with which a growing number of Italians are experimenting in search of secrets to create figures, decorations and faces.This is what Coldiretti states, which has developed a handbook for a scary pumpkin in ten steps on the occasion of the "Pumpkin day” which is celebrated throughout Italy in the markets of Campagna Amica starting from that of the Circo Massimo in Rome in via San Teodoro 74 with pumpkin carving lessons, the exhibition of “monstrous” sculptures, but also cooking advice from the chefs farmers to prepare them as best as possible.

HOW TO CARV PUMPKINS FOR HALLOWEEN

To carve an authentic Halloween pumpkin, it is very important, first of all, to choose the right pumpkin.Here's how:

Before carving the pumpkin we begin by drawing the lines of the "face" on the peel:the outline of the zig zag cap at the top, the eyes, eyebrows, nose, mouth and teeth. To do this you can use a pencil, a marker or, for the more experienced, a V-shaped chisel.At this point you can carve the peel with a very sharp and not too flexible kitchen knife:we start from the top cap which it must have sufficient width to allow a hand to pass through.

Once opened, the pumpkin should be dug internally with a spoon to remove all the pulp, filaments and seeds – continues Coldiretti – and then move on to carving the other features of the face, in order to create holes where the light comes out. The candle or lighted match to illuminate the pumpkin can be inserted from the hat at the top or, alternatively, by digging a small hole in the bottom of the pumpkin to create an entrance.

To leave our pumpkin lit even at night without danger, you can use LED candles. To preserve the memory of the magical witches' night for a long time - continues Coldiretti - it is best to keep the pumpkin away from heat sources.Furthermore, once a week it is better to rub a little vegetable oil on the outside with a soft cloth and leave the pumpkin in a cool, dry place.Subsequently every 4-5 days immerse it in fresh water. In case of particularly dry air at home, at night it is advisable - concludes Coldiretti - to cover the pumpkin with a damp cloth.