by Mandy of
Aunt Manny's Creations
Ever since I was a little girl, family tradition near Halloween was to trek to the local pumpkin patch to pick the perfect pumpkin for carving a jack-o-lantern! I remember trying to find the biggest one because I just knew it would harbor the most seeds…and seeds were the only thing on my mind! Oh how wonderful they taste after just a bit of toasting in the oven and my mouth waters just thinking about them!
Curious, I did some digging on my family tradition and found some interesting facts on jack-o-lanterns and how the whole tradition originally started.
The term, "Jack-of-the-Lantern", first appeared in print in 1750 and referred to a night watchman or a man carrying a lantern.
The Irish brought the tradition of the Jack O' Lantern to America. But, the original Jack O' Lantern was not a pumpkin. The Jack O' Lantern legend goes back hundreds of years in Irish History. As the story goes, Stingy Jack was a miserable, old drunk who liked to play tricks on everyone: family, friends, his mother and even the Devil himself. One day, he tricked the D evil into climbing up an apple tree. Once the Devil climbed up the apple tree, Stingy Jack hurriedly placed crosses around the trunk of the tree. The Devil was then unable to get down the tree. Stingy Jack made the Devil promise him not to take his soul when he died. Once the devil promised not to take his soul, Stingy Jack removed the crosses and let the Devil down.
Many years later, when Jack finally died, he went to the pearly gates of Heaven and was told by Saint Peter that he was too mean and too cruel and had led a miserable and worthless life on earth. He was not allowed to enter heaven. He then went down to Hell and the Devil. The Devil kept his promise and would not allow him to enter Hell. Now Jack was scared and had nowhere to go but to wander about forever in the darkness between heaven and hell. He asked the Devil how he could leave as there was no light. The Devil tossed him an ember from the flames of Hell to help him light his way. Jack placed the ember in a hollowed out Turnip, one of his favorite foods, which he always carried around with him whenever he could steal one. For that day onward, Stingy Jack roamed the earth without a resting place, lighting his way as he went with his "Jack O' Lantern".
On all Hallow's eve, the Irish hollowed out Turnips, rutabagas, gourds, potatoes and beets. They placed a light in them to ward off evil spirits and keep Stingy Jack away. These were the original Jack O' Lanterns. In the 1800's a couple of waves of Irish immigrants came to America. The Irish immigrants quickly discovered that Pumpkins were bigger and easier to carve out. So they used pumpkins for Jack O' Lanterns.
Now that we know about Ol’ Jack, here are some wonderful tips on carving your own!
When at the pumpkin patch, select a pumpkin that is ripe, has no bruises, cuts or nicks. Do not carry a pumpkin by its stem; it may break, and do not bruise it as it will not last as long. For easy cleanup, place your pumpkin on several layers of newspaper before carving.
Cut a circle around the stem of the pumpkin. Use a sharp knife with a long, sturdy blade for best and safest results. Or, you can do it yourself with a safer, plastic "pumpkin carving" knife available at many supermarkets during the pumpkin season. Make sure that children have proper when carving their pumpkins.
Make sure the hole is large enough to reach in and pull out the seeds and stringy membrane. The bottom of the pumpkin could also be cut off instead; this will allow the pumpkin to sit up straight and make removing the seeds easier! When cleaning out the pumpkin, use and old soup ladle to get out the seeds. Try carving a giant pumpkin; it is easier to carve than a regular pumpkin.
Examine your pumpkin to determine the best place to carve its face. Draw an outline of a face on a plain sheet of white paper (use simple bold features). Tape your paper to the pumpkin where you want the face to be. Score the design onto the pumpkin by punching through the paper into the pumpkin with a large nail or pin.
Carefully cut out the design following the holes that were "punched" with your plastic knife. When you are finished cutting, simply push out the pieces to view the final results. Fix some lights inside. You can use candles (votives or tea lights work well), or you can purchase some battery-operated tea lights from your local craft store if you are concerned about open flames. Now you're all set to light up your home on Halloween night! Have Fun!
Now here comes the best part…what to do with all those pumpkin seeds! Oh there are so many ways of baking them. I will share my family recipe along with some variations for you to try!
Preheat oven to 350°F. Separate the pumpkin seeds from the fibers. Wash, drain, and dry the seeds on paper towels. Coat 11/2 cups seeds with 1 teaspoon vegetable oil. Toss the seeds with salt and spread them in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake, stirring occasionally, 12 to 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Deviled Pumpkin SeedsAdd 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce and 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon chili pepper.
Sugar and Spice Pumpkin SeedsAdd 1 tablespoon sugar, 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice.
Cheesy SeedsAdd 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese and 1/2 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning.
Cool pumpkin seeds before eating or storing. Store in an airtight container at room temperature up to 3 months or refrigerate up to 1 year.
So now that you know everything about the jack-o-lantern, it would be a wonderful story to share with your family while carving them this year!
