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CHOOSING THE RIGHT pumpkin to carve for Halloween is an important task. It will be much easier to locate a commercial grower in the area or visit one of the many roadside stands that appear in the days just before Halloween.
Be careful not to choose a pumpkin that is bruised, cracked or has a broken stem. And don't carve your pumpkin any sooner than a day or two before Halloween to make sure it lasts longer.

CARVING TIPS
Consider the size and shape of your pumpkin before carving. Round pumpkins are good for making happy faces, while tall, thin pumpkins are best for scary expressions because there's plenty of room at the bottom for a big mouth with lots of teeth. Draw your pumpkin's face on paper first. Then you can either copy the drawing onto the front of the pumpkin using a water-based marker, or simply fasten the paper onto the pumpkin and carve into the paper.
Begin by carving the lid: Cut the lid at an angle so the outside diameter is larger than the inside. By doing this, you'll be sure that the top won't fall into the pumpkin. Make sure that your hand can easily fit through the lid opening so that you can scoop out the insides of the pumpkin. Clean out the pulp and seeds. This messy job can be done with a large spoon or with your hands. Place newspaper underneath the pumpkin to avoid a messy clean-up. Save the seeds for cooking.

CARVING SAFETY
Carve away from yourself, keeping part of the knife blade in the pumpkin. Use slow, steady, sawlike strokes. It is easier to carve the features in the middle of the pumpkin first and slowly work outward. For areas with a lot of detail, cut with an X-Acto knife. To make circles and curves, use the tip of a potato peeler. You can remove carved areas by either pushing them into or out of the pumpkin. By stabbing a chunk with a toothpick, you can pull it away from the pumpkin. Be sure that the holes are large enough to provide air for the candle flame. Finally, create a flattened area in the bottom for a candle.

ROASTING OR FRYING THE SEEDS
After removing the seeds from the pumpkin, wash them thoroughly and let them dry on paper towels for a day. Put one tablespoon of cooking oil in a bowl, add two cups of dried seeds, and toss them until they are coated with the oil. Spread the seeds on a cookie sheet, and bake them at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes to one hour. Stir them every 15 minutes while they're baking.
To fry the seeds, place one tablespoon of oil in a frying pan, add the seeds, and cook over medium heat until they begin to swell and pop. Add salt to taste.

FUN FACT
The largest pumpkin on record in the United States weighed 990 lbs., big enough to make over 400 pumpkin pies.