Carving Jack: Part II of III

Draw a circle around the stem of the pumpkin. If you make it a perfect circle, be sure to leave notches in it so that you know exactly how to position it when you re-place it. Be sure that your circle is large enough that you can fit your fist inside of it. Take the paring knife and puncture the surface of Jack, somewhere along the line you have drawn. The skin will be tough, as Jack is trying not to cry. Gently push the knife all the way through the skin. Wiggle it back and forth in an attempt to make the cut wider (not longer). Pull the paring knife out and insert the special pumpkin-carving knife. Finish cutting the lid. To take the top off of Jack, you may need to pull hard, as the inside of it will be entangled with the rest of the stringy sliminess not visible from the outside. Using your paring knife, slice all the pulp off the top, and create a somewhat smooth surface. Set the top aside.

Put your hand inside Jack and begin gutting him. You will pull out mainly handfuls of seeds at first, which should be deposited in the cereal bowl. As you pull out the slimy insides, just place them on the newspaper until you are done. Be prepared to get stuff under your fingernails. When you have pulled out all you can with your hands, insert the metal spoon into Jack and begin scraping the walls. While this won't completely detach all the strings, it will weaken them enough to be able to then pull the rest off with your hands. Continue scraping and pulling until you can pull out no more. Be as thorough as possible, as you do not want a sloppy appearance at the end of your carving quest.

When you are finished scraping the insides of Jack, take the seeds to the sink and rinse them in a colander. Try to get all of the pulp off of them, so that you just have pure seed left. Shake handfuls of seeds off at a time and absorb the rest of the water with paper towels. Spread the seeds out on a cookie sheet, making sure there is only one layer of seed. Salt them generously. Bake them at 350^o for 10 minutes. After the buzzer goes off, flip the seeds over (as well as possible – it's difficult) with a spatula and salt the other side. Place them back in the oven for 5-8 minutes. When they are done, they can be eaten right away, and are best when toasty right out of the oven.

Before you begin to cut a face in Jack, design his demeanor on a sheet of paper. Try several possibilities and pick your favorite. Draw the selected face on the clean side of the pumpkin. When you begin to cut it, you will use both knives. The paring knife will work better for small detail, whereas the special pumpkin knife will give you the security of not having to worry about slipping and messing up the face. When using the paring knife, be careful not to let this happen – it can slide through the skin easily and may slip past the point that you want it to stop.