“I run Farmer Copleys - here's how to carve a pumpkin masterpiece this Halloween”

Halloween is just around the corner and Yorkshire residents are starting to pick their pumpkins.

For anyone hoping to carve a masterpiece this autumn, there are plenty of tricks to learn.

Heather Copley, 53, runs Farmer Copleys alongside her husband, Rob. At Ravensknowle Farm in Pontefract, the Copleys host one of the UK’s largest pumpkin festivals, with 300,000 pumpkins ready for picking this year.

For aspiring pumpkin carvers, Heather has some words of wisdom.

Avoid carving pumpkins straight away

“First of all, don't carve too early,” says Heather. “A lot of people want to carve their pumpkins really early, much earlier than they should do, and they just don't last.”

Heather explains that pumpkins only last five to seven days once they’ve been cut. Instead, Heather recommends starting with “no-carve” decorations, like glitter or paint, then carving your pumpkin closer to Halloween.

Pick a good quality pumpkin

“If you are looking for one just to carve, I would definitely go for one that's the right shape, nice skin, nice handle,” Heather says, specifically recommending racer varieties.

For easier carving, she recommends choosing pumpkins that are “relatively lightweight, so you're not scooping out all the middle for forever and a day.”

Above all, look for an undamaged pumpkin with thick skin. “As soon as you start carving it or you pierce the skin, that’s when it starts to get oxygen into it and that's when it will start to break down,” Heather says.

“You want a thickish set skin and a good stalk,” she explains, “and if all of that is intact, your uncarved pumpkin will last for months and months.”

Use the right tools and techniques

When carving a pumpkin, start by cutting the lid. “I would always cut wavy so that you know which way the lid goes on,” Heather says.

“You can also do it from the bottom if you're really professional,” she adds. Cutting a hole in the bottom of the pumpkin makes adding a candle easier, and avoids the lid collapsing.

Afterwards, Heather recommends using a metal spoon to scoop out the middle. “Scoop it out until it is literally as dry as you can possibly get it with no stringy bits left,” she says.

Cook something delicious with the pulp

“We celebrate the pumpkin,” says Heather. “We encourage people to eat the pumpkins and not just carve them and throw them away.”

There are hundreds of ways to use pumpkin pulp in the kitchen, from pumpkin pies to an autumnal chilli con carne. Even the seeds can be roasted and are especially tasty with honey, chocolate, sea salt, or maple.

“There is no excuse to throw it in the bin,” Heather says.