Wikimedia Commons: Joseolgon

Pineapple Jack-o'-Lanterns Put Traditional Pumpkin Carvings to Shame

Pineapples are having quite the year so far. Pink pineapples are now for sale in certain stores, Tropical Pineapple Moonshine was our drink of the summer, and Grilled Curried Pineapple is still being fried up in our cast iron skillets. So what does it take to transform a summery pineapple into an autumn standby? Welcome to the world of spooky pineapple jack-o'-lanterns.

Switch up your favorite Halloween tradition and ditch pumpkin carving so you can carve a pineapple instead of a silly Halloween shape, too. So how do you make your own pineapple jack-o-lanterns? Delish breaks it down in this easy-to-follow video.

 

Here are the very simple (and less messy!) step-by-step instructions.

1. Slice off the top of the pineapple. 

2. Use a pineapple corer to remove the center.

3. Carefully carve your design using a pairing knife.

4. Place a tea light in the bottom.

5. Replace the top of the pineapple, and display. 

The best part about this DIY Halloween hack is that it's less messy than carving pumpkins when you use the dedicated pineapple corer when creating your carved pineapple. The smaller surface of the pineapple limits your designs, but the unique flair of a pineapple jack-o-lantern is amazing enough.

Here in the South, pineapples even make more sense than pumpkins as temperatures are still rising into October and Halloween decorations seem out of place when it is still in the high 80s. It wouldn't feel out of place to spot a jack-o'-lantern face pineapple on a porch in Miami, Florida; Houston, Texas; or Charlotte, North Carolina instead of the typical Halloween pumpkin.

Not sure what to do with that core of juicy pineapple? Make our favorite Piña Colada, the Pineapple Matador CocktailSpicy Grilled Shrimp and Pineapple Skewers, or use it to top our Pulled Pork Nachos.

Before you skip over to Pinterest to check out ideas, we've compiled our favorite photos from Instagram. You have to see some of these designs!

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMQJWfzgH_y/?tagged=pineapplejackolantern

https://www.instagram.com/p/BMQFdZ7BIfp/?tagged=pineapplejackolantern

This article was originally published on September 24, 2019.

Watch: How to Hack a Frozen Pizza for a Better Quick Dinner