Preserving pumpkins

Cathleen Mook <cathy [at] lis__pitt__edu> writes

>I have a slightly off topic question and I am hoping someone on the
>DistList could help me. I need to know if there is any way to
>preserve, for a relatively long period of time, carved Halloween
>pumpkins. Can they simply be dried? Freeze dried?

Some time ago I did some casual research into freeze drying,
specifically for flowers.  I do think it would work for a pumpkin,
but you should be aware of the costs.

Small freeze drying chambers are available, and used by taxidermists
and florists.  I was told that a small chamber costs about $20,000
(Canadian, and it may not be a truthful amount!).  The item must be
frozen, and the atmospheric pressure in the chamber is evacuated,
and remains low until most of the moisture in the object has
evaporated (sublimated more accurately.)

                                  ***
                  Conservation DistList Instance 10:44
                 Distributed: Friday, November 1, 1996
                       Message Id: cdl-10-44-005
                                  ***