How to Carve a Pumpkin Bowl

Carve a decorative bowl from a large pumpkin to serve hot or cold foods at your holiday table. These easy-to-make containers will hold up to a gallon of soup or stew.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Pumpkins
• Vegetable Oils
• Kitchen Knives
• Large Spoons
• Paring Knives
• Permanent Markers

1. Select a pumpkin with a flat bottom.
2. Place the pumpkin, flat side down, on a stable surface.
3. Draw a line all the way around the widest point of the pumpkin with a felt-tip pen.
4. Make a handle by drawing a wide band across the top of the pumpkin, which connects to the midpoint line.
5. Make the first cut into the pumpkin in the space between your mark on the widest point and the handle.
6. Cut down toward the midpoint line. Pumpkins are thick and tough; some serious hacking may be in order.
7. Follow your guidelines to cut away the excess pumpkin shell.
8. Remove seeds and pulp from the inside of the pumpkin with a large metal spoon.
9. You should end up with something that resembles a very large, orange Easter basket.
10. Fill the empty pumpkin with hot soup or stew - or line it with lettuce and fill it with cold potato salad or vegetables.

Tips & Warnings

• Coat the cut edge of the pumpkin bowl with vegetable oil so it stays fresh looking.
• If you use the pumpkin for cold salads, line it with plastic wrap and then lettuce before filling it. This way, you can use the shell more than once.
• Working with sharp tools should always be done under adult supervision.