With halloween around the corner and the challenge of preserving carved pumpkins during this time, Becky Worley tries different methods to keep the pumpkins fresh. She carves one pumpkin traditionally, another soaked in a diluted bleach and water solution, and a third using peppermint soap. The purpose of these methods is to prevent bacterial growth and decay. After a few days, the traditionally carved pumpkin deteriorates rapidly, while the bleach-soaked pumpkin shows the best preservation, with the peppermint-treated pumpkin somewhere in between.
Vocabulary:
• Decompose: To break down or rot.
• Putrid: Rotten or foul-smelling.
• Diluted: Made weaker by adding water or another liquid.
• Nutrients: Substances that provide nourishment.
• Morbid: Gruesome or related to death.
• Structure: The way something is organized or put together.