Mallets, moving cars, and great heights have all figured in suggestions of how to split open a pumpkin. We've been tempted to hurl ours off the balcony, but patience and a good chef's knife should do the trick in the end. See step-by-step photos below...
NOTE: We really only recommend this for small pie pumpkins that can easily be steadied with one hand. Anything over 3 or 4 pounds - use a saw or screwdriver and mallet.
1. Start with a small pie pumpkin. These are the best for actual cooking; leave the big boys to the jack-o-lantern carvers.
2. Use your biggest, heaviest chef's knife. It should still feel comfortable in your hand - you don't want it slipping free. Insert the point of the knife at the top of the pumpkin and push it in.
3. Slowly and carefully push the knife in, applying pressure straight down, and pausing to wiggle the knife from side to side, widening the crack. Work your way slowly down the side of the pumpkin.
4. Holding the pumpkin down, repeat on the other side of the pumpkin.
5. Push straight down through the second crack and split through the bottom of the pumpkin.
6. You should be able to cut through the split on the bottom. The two halves should only be attached at the stem now.
7. Pull apart with your hands, cracking at the stem.
Congratulations - you've cracked your pumpkin! Now - what to do with it? Watch for more tips on pumpkin innards and seeds...
Related Links
• Tip: Bake Pumpkins Before Cutting
• How To: Make Pumpkin Puree
• Pumpkin Carving Gadgets
• Good Tip: Brining Pumpkin Seeds
• Roasted Pumpkin Seeds
• Recipe: Honey Pumpkin Creme Brulee
• Recipe: Pumpkin Crumb Cakes
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When I have cut pumpkinbefore (and particularly butternut squash), it left a film on my chef's knife that I could not get off to save my life. It eventually wore off after months of use, but what is this from and what can I do to prevent or get it off? It makes me not want to use my best knives on them.
view MC's profile
I use a large Chinese cleaver and make a small guiding cut and then push it through. Works great!
view pods's profile
Sucessfully cutting a pumpkin with an Ikea paring knife was one of my proudest (?) kitchen moments.
I think I'll do it your way next time, though.
view as3087's profile
I find that the easiest way to bisect a pumpkin is to break the stem off -- hopefully leaving a depression much like the one left on a tomato when it is pulled off the stem. You now have more of a surface through which you can push the chef's knife down through, vertically.
view icz's profile
I was disappointed to find out I couldn't use those gigantic jack-o-lantern pumpkins for cooking. There's so much more there!
view Jim of ChewOnThat's profile
Jim of Chew on That,
Don't be disappointed until you try for yourself. Big pumpkins, small pumpkins, they are all edible and packed with vitamins.
The large pumpkins are great for soup and they make a lighter pie.
view art's profile
Question: Why use a chef's knife when every single jack'o lantern carving tool is serrated---sure it's a little slower but much harder to cut your finger off?
view sally599's profile
For squash and pumpkins, I always stick them in the microwave for 1 minute first. This softens the shell just a little, and makes it easier to stab and slice as mentioned above.
view ktkatrina's profile