Preserving a Pumpkin in Solid Resin… Will it rot?

We continue our quest to preserve a carved pumpkin in resin. Will our jack-o-lantern survive? Thanks to our sponsor Squarespace, go to www.squarespace.com/evanandka... for 10% off your first purchase. Go to shopevanandkatelyn.com/ for Words Are Hard floral limited drop!
🙏 Other sponsors:
TotalBoat: check out the epoxy we use: www.totalboat.com/evanandkatelyn (sponsored affiliate link) (search for Thickset Fathom)
Want behind-the-scenes content? Check out the Aftershow for:
• Why is there a lump? MULTIPLE lumps!
• Why we almost didn’t tackle this project
• What we’d do differently if we tried again
• How this compares to past resin pumpkin projects
• Why we almost didn’t make the base
Patron members watch it here: www.patreon.com/posts/7422609...
KZbin Members, watch it here: • Will this be our last ...
Not a Patron yet? Join here: / evanandkatelyn
Not a KZbin Member? Join here: kzbin.infojoin
TOOLS & MATERIALS (affiliate* & sponsor links)
Resin www.totalboat.com/evanandkatelyn (sponsored affiliate link) (search for Thickset Fathom)
UV resin www.totalboat.com/evanandkatelyn (sponsored affiliate link) (search for UV resin)
Glue gun amzn.to/2NVEpsP
Drill amzn.to/3BvzDYS
Drill mixing attachment amzn.to/3mW5FZX
Space helmet masks amzn.to/3txh1ac (beware sticker shock)
Mask backpack adapter amzn.to/3Fz9zhd
🛒 Our favorite tools/materials on our Amazon page: amazon.com/shop/evanandkatelyn
🛠️ All our favorite tools: evanandkatelyn.com/tools/
Want more E&K videos? We have more channels:
🎮 Gaming: / evanandkatelyngaming
🎙️ Podcast: / evanandkatelynpodcast
🎮 Gaming Uncut: bit.ly/ekuncut
👫 E&K 2: / evanandkatelyn2
👫 E&K Uncut: / @evanandkatelynuncut
📺 Twitch live streams / evanandkatelyn
✂ Clips / evanandkatelynclips
SOCIAL/SUPPORT LINKS
💵 Patrons can watch our Aftershow here / evanandkatelyn
👕 Merch shopevanandkatelyn.com/
📸 Instagram & 📣 Twitter: @evanandkatelyn
💬 Discord / discord
👽 Reddit / evanandkatelyn
🎥 FILMING GEAR (affiliate)
bit.ly/eandkfilminggear
🎼 MUSIC
All This, Constance, Darxieland, Deuces, Disappointment, Doh De Oh, Electrodoodle, Friendly Day, Impromptu in Quarter, Laconic Granny, Last Kiss Goodnight, March of the Spoons, Mining By Moonlight, Not as it Seems, Sneaky Snitch, Sweeter Vermouth, Tenebrous Brothers Carnival, The Show Must Be Go, Thinking Music
by Kevin MacLeod
Little Trolls by Frank Schroter
Kiddie Thief and Smooth Criminal by John Bartmann Creative Commons CC-BY 4.0 License
Additional music from the KZbin Audio Library
*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Don’t miss out on our Words Are Hard Floral limited merch drop! Designs only available til November 18th shopevanandkatelyn.com/

[@Tacomochi]

Hi! your my favourite youtubers! and I wanted to say that you should make a christmas video when it's christmas!

[@oliviaohara8]

WOOOO!

[@Samsupurrvisor992]

But its christmas season now 🎄😧

[@lilliang6744]

Such a cute merch drop definitely gonna get something! ❤

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

@@lilliang6744 Thank you, so glad you like it!

[@theyaremycrocs6009]

"we remembered mold release!" *literally less than a minute later* "WE FORGOT TO LEVEL IT" I love the chaos you guys have, it's the funniest thing 😂

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

it's a constant battle of *technically* knowing best practices, and almost always forgetting them

[@kd4674]

I feel like it's always one or the other 😆 a constant tug of war either being level or having mold release.

[@indigofoxe535]

Ikr it’s so funny and entertaining!😂

[@SAADCAAT]

I want a " forgot mold release" and a " didn't level it" shirt/hoodie maybe

[@Night44453]

They wil never do that both on one piece and now they did it both in this video

[@cheyennes7681]

Now I'm wondering what it would be like if you made a silicone mold of a carved pumpkin and then made a resin copy?

[@delaneykeller1389]

Maybe that will be next year's pumpkin 👀

[@stolenzephyr]

That's a great idea!

[@orchestra-of-frogs]

That's exactly what I came to the comments to say

[@NoiseDay]

Infinitely better, because the resin wouldn't rot If they keep trying this immortal pumpkin project, I hope they do a mold and call it good because this one must have been exhausting.

[@cheyennes7681]

@@NoiseDay For sure emotionally exhausting!

[@rayax2805]

Evan sitting on the floor, laughing, is the visual definition of “if I don’t laugh- I’ll cry.” 😂❤

[@XayIsBored]

Yup

[@syntaxerror606]

Not Evan & Katelyn being such a comfort channel to me that I can fall asleep to their videos and I can watch them over and over

[@TheFantazingo]

Except when they edit in screaming Japanese men 😂

[@kerra7386]

I do the same thing!! 😊

[@SxarsFade24]

Same tho. Legit doing that rn

[@ghosted_marshmallow_]

@@SxarsFade24omg same, they’ve like saved my sleep schedule- I say at like 12:23am

[@Triv27]

Suggestions for next year: 1. Scrub and wash the pumpkin to clean up the waxy residue on the outside. 2. Use a scoop or spoon and really scrape out the inside. Actually thin down the walls a bit and clear out the pulpy interior bits as much as possible. 3. Soak the pumpkin at least briefly in a bleach solution to kill any mold and fungus. 4. No "air hole". Put the pumpkin in upside down that way you can pour the resin directly into the pumpkin and around the outside as well. 5. Use quick drying resin.

[@ezechielladouceur7284]

Bleach doesn't kill bacteria's it's only gonna bleach, so render it invisible but it's still going to be able to grow and the "new" fungus will be visible. If you want to kill bacteria you'll need something like 90% alcohol.

[@izzy1633]

This is actually a really good idea

[@ladyrayylin3268]

I like this. These are very useful

[@donosborne9398]

The bleach solution might discolor the pumpkin. Perhaps alcohol maybe?

[@turgongondolin2103]

To be fair, you are still just making an impenetrable tomb to house whatever the remaining moisture decomposes the pumpkin into. I think their second attempt was closest to success, but they should use the Cup Noodle method to dry out the pumpkin. The man who invented Cup Noodles supposedly was the first to preserve noodles by drying them out in a way that could be rehydrated when you are ready to consume them. If I remember rightly, it just required deep frying the noodles which would be a lot easier and cheaper to use on a large pumpkin. So I propose to Evan and Katelyn to read up on the method Cup Noodles uses to dehydrate large amounts of product, use it on the pumpkin (maybe use a few smaller gourds as jack-o'-lanterns to get a few extra tests out in a year? (but that will minimize the chaos and fun ;)), and then stick that thing in the cube of resin.

[@faroshscale]

There is something absolutely hysterical about Meatball staring joyfully out from the inside of the resin cube like "I am trapped in an eternal nightmare, a prisoner to my thoughts and regrets for the pleasure of strangers on the internet! Haha!"

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

hahaha yes

[@ArriaO]

@@EvanAndKatelyn Regardless of what happens to him, you have made a seriously epic piece of Halloween decor that will last the rest of your lives! Stays the same? Weird and cool, with a side of existential dread. Rots to a soupy mess? Creepy and disgusting, with a side of horror.

[@runikvarze6191]

I think what you need to do is stabilize a pumpkin, using a stabilizing resin like cactus juice brand, or something similar. That would mean dehydrating it, but then rehydrating it using the resin, before you bake it to harden the resin inside it. This would have the added benefit of killing any potential mold spores. Then, from there, you should be able to coat it with clear resin without having to worry about pumpkin juices causing complications. It would still largely preserve the shape and color of your pumpkin, and you could do the large pour method with (hopefully) a lot more success. It's really just the internal hydration of the pumpkin that messed you guys up so badly.

[@emmetthowell899]

Some ideas for 2023. Make sure to wash and disinfect the pumpkin, the whiteness from the beginning might’ve been from the wax they put on produce and if you disinfect it it could get rid of any mold spores just hanging out on the pumpkins. Make sure to get a fresh pumpkin, yams early demise might show that the pumpkins were already old and/or contaminated with some mold. No tube, instead of putting it bottom down put it top down so there won’t be an air pocket to worry about (still with the bottom hole). Try to keep the resin as cool as possible because some of the juicege might’ve been from the pumpkin getting cooked. Also you could try freeze drying it instead of just dehydrating and then use a penetrating resin and then once it’s sealed like that you can resin it for aesthetics. So many options! I’m so excited for what y’all have coming up for this year

[@chriska709]

i remember mythbusters doing something similar with an apple, and tory used one of the shop tools to cut one and a knife to cut the other. the shop tool apple went bad so much faster. so unless you sterilized your hole saws and other blades, there's a good chance you introduced the mold early

[@scourgeface]

thats exactly what i was thinking too

[@Mermolliv]

Wow!

[@mparis130]

Ohhh good spotting. Another change for next year: use sterilized tools or regular knives

[@EmberLeo]

That, and maybe santitizing the surfaces of the pumpkin? Though I suspect freezedrying would work better...

[@thear1s]

Dipping the pumpkin in alcohol or spraying it would help killing bacteria too. With the freeze drying I'd be afraid of condensation spots when getting it out of the freezer

[@slyblue8761]

Evan: You’re gonna be with us forever. Katelyn: Forever :) Evan: Forever :) Meatball: *starts sweating profusely, rising the water levels*

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

so that's why the water level rose...

[@anatheduck]

@@EvanAndKatelyn i have a video idea, RICE PUMKEN!

[@xxxdiresaintxxx]

It wasn't water/juice... It was tears of sorrow 😭 and terror 😱.

[@Lighter_Fluid]

This comment is great, genuinely made me laugh :)

[@ricardoabh3242]

Agree they put to much pressure on Meatball…he could not handle it!

[@Elmerstudd007]

Here i am... 1:00 AM and just giving myself a refresher on the story of Meatball and hoping that he maintains his Meaty Ballness for the entire year. I can't wait to see whats next! Also a side note: an idea i had was to do a rubbing alcohol bath for the next pumpkin of which I would like to submit the name Jethro. An alcohol bath would likely help wash away some of the bacteria the mold spores will grow from and keep him from juicing too much. You could also do the unthinkable and build a HUGE vacuum chamber that could potentially pull the excess moisture and air pockets inside Jethro.

[@alipenn5302]

Can't wait to see what they do this year!

[@ellebee01]

I always wonder if the Total Boat people are thrilled when Evan & Katelyn contact them or avoid the emails as long as possible

[@languageresources2314]

Both are entirely plausible I think

[@LiminalQueenMedia]

I suspect Total Boat relishes the opportunity to work with them as it's the type of genuine product interaction no amount of money can fabricate that gets seen by a large audience with a higher than average turnover rate.

[@tolsis]

Both

[@bumbobaggins]

I think they are thrilled, cause I got into resin and started using totalboat after watching these videos. And I think many people if they were to start, would use totalboat.

[@angeloftheaether6187]

On the phone: E&K: “So we need a lot of resin.” TB: “Well that’s what we sell.” E&K: “No, like a lot a lot of resin.” TB: “Umm, ok?” E&K: * explains video * TB: “I’m sorry, you’re doing what now?” Evan: “We have successfully confuzzled the Total Boat people…”

[@chymotrypic6045]

Flashbacks of last year start filling in

[@calbertviviers]

Feels like it was just yesterday...

[@Doofing_Cookies]

Filling in you say?!!

[@angelicabass4475]

Its almost time for the next episode in this saga!! I can not wait to see what happens next!

[@FrankErdman]

I feel like what is needed is a freeze dried jack-o-lantern to remove all moisture immediately after carving, next step would be a penetrating resin like cactus juice to fill all cavities left after the freeze drying. At that point it should be completely sealed as is or you could encase in a block from there. I look forward to 2023 edition

[@med8615]

if you're still alive then

[@samanthadean1083]

Most of the pumpkins rot faster when they are warm, but you can keep them longer by keeping them in a cool to cold place. Also, if you spray/brush bleach on the inside (as well as all the cut edges) of the pumpkin, it will kill all the bacteria, which will extend the life of the carved pumpkin!!! Great job guys!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️❤️❤️

[@FancySpicyTuna]

Oh! Resin heats up when it cures! They baked / juiced the pumpkin!

[@zaraheart]

I believe they are in Texas too, Which I’m sure doesn’t help lol

[@CheekyAdorable]

Does UV resin heat up? Maybe if the pumpkin layers were UV resin it would preserve it better?

[@zaraheart]

@@CheekyAdorable UV resin does heat up unfortunately

[@samanthadean1083]

@@CheekyAdorable see their other pumpkin resin videos, they tried that.

[@lolilo2759]

I love that the “Resin time, resin time, do do do do resin time” theme song just changed throughout the video. You can not only see and watch how they got less and less excited for the resin, you can also hear and feel it when there comes a “resin time” song :’)

[@jedstanaland2897]

The stores that make resin preserved pumpkins typically freeze dry the pumpkins first.

[@johnwollenberg3623]

I was literally about to suggest this and than saw your comment. Freeze drying will completely dry out the pumpkin but preserve its shape for the most part.

[@TheGerba1]

It's possible that the pumpkin is pulling away from the resin because it is getting cooked from the heat of the resin. I know epoxies can get quite hot while curing/setting up.

[@LJSohma]

I was thinking something similar. Because the heat from the curing absolutely has to be cooking these pumpkins

[@serpentartist1348]

Meatball looks like a ghost pumpkin. Also Katelyn’s editing was a treat

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

I think he did die a little inside. So glad you like the editing, one of our awesome editors helped us with this one!

[@pingidjit]

@@EvanAndKatelyn The addition of the more and more exhausted Resin Time song was hilarious

[@Imurai]

@@pingidjit i came to the comments for this

[@eleanorbateman4317]

I'm super surprised you guys didn't try freeze drying Meatball to get out the juice. Perhaps that can be saved for next years candidates, the brothers Wooby and Flump?

[@rpsdata]

I was thinking along the same lines, but thought maybe some kind of preservative or strong disinfectant to try and kill any microbes or fungi. Freeze drying might preserve the color better, though.

[@eleanorbateman4317]

@@rpsdata I think an issue is that any dampness attracts mold, bug and decomposers so if that's taken away it gives more time to get it cased in resin

[@forest-goddess]

honestly cover all their bases just to be safe, freeze dry then do a quick alcohol wipe wipedown prior to resin pour (i'm honestly unsure how an alcohol wipe would work with the resin but it's such a small amount of alcohol that it evaporates almost instantly so it should be fine right? lol)

[@LittleAshfairy]

@@forest-goddess I spray a lot of my dice inserts with alcohol before putting resin on them, to avoid bubbles clinging to the inserts, and the alcohol does nothing to the resin, even if it's still liquid, as long as it's just a small amount :)

[@csn583]

Freeze drying requires some significant equipment.

[@kaitmarie6505]

I'd definitely scrub the pumpkins down next year! The EPA has a list of actual fungicides you can get from normal stores (most things that are like, "mold and mildew bathroom cleaner," are just disinfectants and not fungicides). Giving them a nice wash prior to carving should help set up the good good pumpkin boys for success!

[@melissanumark8753]

I’d love to see you guys dry out the pumpkin with silica gel beads and then use resin. That would avoid the juice all together🤔

[@orphicfemme7694]

Agree completely! I was thinking the same thing. Wash the pumpkin well with a disinfectant, scoop as much flesh out as possible, and use silica gel beads to completely dry it out which will probably take multiple change outs of fresh beads over weeks but will be much better than salt IF most of the pumpkin flesh is removed from the inside instead of just scooping out the seeds. Once it’s completely dried, it should be easy to preserve it in resin.

[@CandiceGoddard]

What would the point of using silica gel beads be when they seemed to have used salt as a desiccant in a previous video? Salt is a mineral too and in fact natron salt is a historical desiccant and disinfectant.

[@eksboks148]

They used silica already, it didn't even do anything :(

[@emoobeth]

I'm convinced the white-ness and unexpected juice is because the pumpkin is being somewhat cooked by the heat from the curing process. maybe a bunch of thin layers would work better (though it would take quite a long time). No matter what, I am definitely looking forward to whatever you guys try next year!

[@Tirryna]

I was thinking the same thing...no way 100°F and over for prolonged periods of time isn't going to affect it at least a bit.

[@maiadion557]

Thats what i thought too.. the heat of deep pour..it cooked meatball!

[@zyiezyie]

The problem is that it'd take longer having to wait for many more cures though, which would mean it would probably have time to start rotting before you manage to cover the whole thing. I guess you could do it with something like UV resin, spending many hours straight pouring thin layers and curing them quickly. It'd be a lot more expensive than the already $1k resin used for this project however, not to mention a lot more labour intensive. The easiest solution would be to just use much smaller pumpkins. Easier to cure quickly, thereby less risk of rotting, and also much, much cheaper to do. They could experiment next year with multiple different ways of going about it, like one big pour, many smaller pours, UV resin, maybe some other method, and see what works best. Then technically, they could use that the results of that to go back to a bigger pumpkin the next year and use the best method from the small pumpkin tests.

[@julielal]

It looks like natural mold growth to me, I wonder if washing the pumpkin in bleach before sealing it would help.

[@ashlady9]

I was thinking the same thing!

[@rachelkerr8842]

I think maybe because it's a porous, organic material you'd need to submerge the carved pumpkin in glycerin to seal it from within (like what's done to preserve leaves etc in frames) before adding the resin to the outside - hope this helps!

[@Saitaina]

This was my thought. Not enough saturation into the pores so they're getting tiny bubbles and decay.

[@samwebb3577]

Yo, I hope they see this comment. I think this might work.

[@supernova743]

I think they need to do some kind of sterilization first. Obviously mold is getting into the pumpkin before its submerged.

[@martymcfriess]

Hit it with a few layers of hairspray would solve it

[@teresagg9809]

@@supernova743 I've heard a vinegar wash can help before carving or bleach spray down.

[@Tea_Mist]

I don't know if this was said already, but this is the first time really seen resin like this. If it's getting up and over 80 degrees, you're *cooking* that pumpkin which is WAY speeding up and softening the flesh of the pumpkin which is making it juice faster. I don't know what you can do to prevent the cooking of the gored but hopefully this helps maybe?

[@user-dk5js6on5r]

Reducing the volume or increasing surface area would help with the temperature to some extent. Maybe a cylinder to reduce the amount of resin required on the corners... starting to remind me of the Futurama heads

[@robinarkell7221]

They could also try dehydrating it first- in an oven at a low temperature, rather than with salt. It might help?

[@benjamindeh873]

I mean yeah, but the other pumpkin died in 3 days. Which means that even if the hot resin had an effect, something else did as well. - Some of the tools they used to clean the pumkins were contaminated - Pumpkins were contaminated - Pumpkins were waaaaay old when they purchased them. - The air, temperature, or other environmental variable of their workshop did it.

[@superguy9834]

Gourd*

[@toast3591]

@@benjamindeh873 so to compare immortalizing pumpkins to embalming human beings, because to embalm it essentially decreases the speed of which the decay occurs with chemical preservatives. But before doing any embalming you have to clean and remove as much bacteria as you physically can to prevent the decay. With that in mind they would need to clean and sanitize everything they use on the pumpkin including the pumpkin and probably encase the pumpkin in cooler temperatures than they are. We’ll see what next year holds lol

[@pickleshots8245]

So just a tip on having a 100% rot free pumpkin. Have you ever thought of stabilizing the pumpkin? I have seen people stabilize wood, pinecones, fruit loops, gummy bears, etc. I think a stabilized pumpkin would be awesome!!

[@jenniferhawkins7865]

There's definitely something going on with carvable pumpkins this year. We did a contest at work and they started molding in just a few days. I've never seen them go bad so quickly.

[@claudiaportela4580]

3 years ago my carved pumpkins was outside for 3 weeks in the Florida weather and it didn’t get that bad until the least week

[@Era1113]

My mom and I started carving a couple Mid-october (only got as far as gutting them) and the seeds were sprouting inside and they collapsed 3 days later, still unfinished

[@jenniferhawkins7865]

We carved one years ago that i had outside for almost 2 months before we had to trash it. I really wonder what's going on inside the pumpkins this year that's making them rot so fast.

[@simplesimply3753]

@@claudiaportela4580 I craved a pumpkin in Florida and by the next morning the pumpkin was melting

[@mTArtist_mTAoMM]

I was just coming to the comments to say this. We carve pumpkins every year and they last weeks. This year it rotted in a week. Was shocked and confused.

[@gothiccharms]

Several years ago hubby and I were at the end of a trip, driving home, when we see a produce stand with HUGE pumpkins. Naturally we stopped to pick one up. 5 hours later we get home to find that the pumpkin was cracked, rotted and now pumpkin rot juice was in our upholstery. It took us THREE YEARS to get the smell of rotted pumpkin out of the car!!

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

curses! that pumpkin stink is so bad haha

[@finnshavocado3031]

26:08 *fight or flight response activated* No seriously, every single time I watch this video, that part ALWAYS gets me. The lighting and the music choice band together to perfectly create that feeling of panic and fear that is ALSO illustrated in Evan’s voice as he starts talking- it’s incredible and perfect for a spooky season video

[@stefanie07]

So this year I am fully expecting them to do a silicone mold of a pumpkin and just make a full resin pumpkin 🎃 lmao 😂 the saga continues!

[@swtch.]

I love how each pumpkin project gets more and more complex than the last

[@oldpotatoben9072]

It’s incredible how their channel went from very formal short tutorials to this.

[@Tribalfan88x]

One thing I love about the two of you: No matter how many happy accidents you make, you never stop smiling about it. No matter what happens, you take it so well!

[@k-lingon-berry]

You know it's a hard hard project when the resin time song gets sad. :( What a payoff though! :O It's amazing how your pumpkin preservation efforts got more and more involved every year. I'm amazed at the sheer dedication. Had to give a little standing ovation in front of my laptop when I saw you going the extra mile after all the pain and adding the light and nameplate. This was an emotional journey but damn if seeing that giant resin cube at the end wasn't satisfying!

[@kristensutton781]

Have you guys thought about doing a small scale test on the smaller pumpkins, like the ones you buy to make a pie, not the super tiny ones but like 6 inches?

[@Tirryna]

As great as that sounds, it wouldn't really work. The whole weight vs water vs mass thing. That's why the controls are always similar size. ❤️ 🎃

[@_.-._.-.]

The only problem is that tiny pumpkins are about just as thick as the size used here, so there's less goop area inside and they're harder to carve

[@andenp8233]

This could be cute and work, but I would just add that the pie pumpkins are usually sweeter and works probably rot faster :( :(

[@Leanda33]

Have you guys ever though of creating a mold out of your cute pumpkin and then creating a pretty resin pumpkin instead? 🤔🧡 I think a pretty, transparent glass-like pumpkin (maybe with a subtle orange pigment in it) could look so awesome! 🎃✨

[@ChocooWafeer]

Omg that would be super cute 🧡🎃

[@Shadowcat31]

GALAXY PUMPKIN! or hear me out... MOOD PIGMENT PUMPKIN 😲

[@Siamiso]

YES!! a pumpkin that actually lasts lol

[@MichaelACurtis]

@@Shadowcat31 Then velvet flocking!

[@lizzyscorner7967]

🤔For next year; Tiny pumpkin, washed, carved, then placed in a container with some resin in the container already (for surface) filled and then placed in the pressure pot to get all air out. 😊

[@coder0xff]

The water in the pumpkin will also boil of in the vacuum and ruin the whole thing.

[@nikopaseman7147]

Definitely agree with washing it, and using a smaller subject for time and cost. Wax and contaminants should be removed prior to anything permanent. Removing moisture early on would do a lot to mitigate leakage. Moisture in a vacuum chamber is too violent, though. If it were removed or replaced by a less volatile substance, it might do better. Freeze-drying the pumpkin might work, or maybe even using a UV cure resin, and pulling a moderate vacuum to slowly pull water while UV cure resin replaces the liquid in the cells. Then just pull it out and utterly blast the thing with UV light, strong enough to penetrate the flesh of it. As a bonus, it'll cook any remaining contaminants. As an aside, a little orange pigment ink on the skin (left to dry) would maintain a stronger skin color post-cure.

[@JenniferJadeKerr]

I'm a mental health therapist and my lunch hour is a sacred time when I decompress (and, well, eat) so I can be in good shape to finish up the day caring for clients. Your videos are a perfect thing to watch while I chill! You've got an enthusiastic new fan! Thank you so much for all you do 🎉

[@gopens89]

Watching you two try to resin a pumpkin has become one of my most cherished Halloween traditions 😆

[@blondbraid7986]

Now I want to see Evan and Katelyn go the other direction and deliberatly encase a living mold ecosystem in resin to see weather it can keep growing in there.

[@LesbianDrag0n713]

You should try coating it in resin then drilling a hole on the bottom sucking all the air out and replacing it with nitrogen as this will help preserve it (nitrogen is what they put in chip packages to keep them fresh and it is also safe to work with as about 3/4 of the air we breath is nitrogen.

[@ezranotbridger]

Just got my floral Words Are Hard merch a little while ago and I love them! The hoodie got a true test today as it snowed for the first time of the season and it performed gloriously! Kept me warm against the air but cool enough that I didn’t get all gross and sweaty. Love it and love you guys!

[@dolphin64575]

The editing for this video is ON POINT OMG! The Wilhelm scream pumpkin seed to the smash cut of scooped out pumpkins. Evan's internal Japanese motivational speeches. The Resin Times. Fantastic.

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

haha so glad you liked it! one of our awesome editors did this one

[@ALargeMammal]

The Toby Maguire scream as you lowered the pumpkin really killed me.

[@pempu_making]

Also that streamer girl with the cry 🤣

[@jordanroberson1590]

Evan and Katelyn are the only KZbinrs I don’t skip the sponsorship segments because they’re genuinely entertaining 😂

[@jenetikitty]

right? Even and Katelyn and MandJTV are worth watching XD (MandJ is a pokemon youtuber, so a different audience lol)

[@Hell.0itsMe]

Agreed

[@Sassyglbeauty]

LMAO 24:36 I love the defeated “resin time” singing 🤣

[@studiozealot]

Time to rewatch this in anticipation for whatever horrors they subject their next pumpkin son to this year, OH BOY. I still love each of these videos- they are such a delightful tradition!

[@ariznameln1285]

I'm so loving this pumpkin series! Thanks for always being yourselves

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

Thank you!

[@tikaka_art]

Would be cool to see you do this with mini pumpkins so you could try multiple different styles at once and a whole pour in one go! But Meatball is beautiful, long may he reign.

[@megan_bond]

This is what I was thinking.

[@ashleighenglebert7645]

Have y'all thought about doing a 3D resin painting? I always see these pretty koi and flowers and stuff and it seems like it would be such a fun video to see what designs you choose and how they turn out

[@greenidgoddess5]

I really hope we get another one of these this year 🎃

[@trstmeimadctr]

I've never seen a pumpkin mold as fast as yam. Usually ours last almost 2 weeks

[@xmikywayx]

It definitely depends on your environment; in New Orleans they start molding near immediately; this year ours collapsed fully & were completely covered with mold on the inside on day 4! It's not very cold in October and the relative humidity makes them mold/rot faster. With E&K also in the South, I imagine their climate is somewhat similar!

[@1amChrlie]

Mine lasted about a 6 days to a week this year, they all just smushed 🧍

[@mwater_moon2865]

@@xmikywayx I live within about 150 miles of them in Texas Hill Country and my jack-o-lantern (carved Oct 22) was mostly eaten by squirrels and deer before we put it in the trash last night (Nov 8). So 2 weeks is totally doable IF you use clean tools to carve (the difference between a knife from the dishwasher and rando drill tools from a garage), make sure you get all of the guts out, AND rinse it with tap water (bleach water is even better).

[@pigeonsmlgsus9784]

@@xmikywayx Meanwhile I'm in Southern Canada and I've had pumpkins put out the first day of October that are still solid and only have slight mold inside after halloween passes

[@xmikywayx]

@@pigeonsmlgsus9784 I'm jealous 😂

[@nyleeam8666]

I feel like a slightly tinted orange resin for meaballs coat would save a bit of his orange-ness. a silicon mold made from a real pumpkin is a must for next years series, now December hasn't some yet but I already want it to be another Halloween season

[@yaralaterveer]

Or just paint it orange

[@gabbyclark9163]

Just wanted to say thank you for helping me through the hard times in my life and making my laugh when I didn’t even want to smile 😁😁

[@AllCloudsAreBunnies]

We’re so close to the year point. This video was posted last year Nov. 4th, and today is October 23rd... I’m kind of excited for the one-year-update!

[@stageplay262]

I love these videos because they always show the most truly horrifying thing this Halloween season; The inevitability of death.

[@GreatSmithanon]

If you really want to preserve it, step one is to let it dry out slowly and naturally, then to soak it in "cactus juice" which is a thinned out resin used to soak into organic matter, typically wood. You have to let the resin really, really soak in, and then bake it in. at that point you can give it a bit of cleanup and then it's ready to go into a thicker resin. A lot of specialty wooden stuff is made with cactus juice and then resin.

[@Black-Swan-007]

Letting is "dry out slowly and naturally" just leads to rot. Pumpkins are fruit, they don't dry out, they're too juicy.

[@ricebeansrockroll882]

I think freeze drying as opposed to slowly drying might work better concidering just how much water it has.

[@---Michael---]

I think vacuum is a important part of that To really get all the air and stuff out and displace it with resin

[@ZArtifiziert]

they tried drying it last year, that didn't work too well either

[@leonnagel415]

For future pours, I have had awesome results pouring about 29 Liters (7G) in a cube with about 15x15x30cm. So 12 inches high. The secret is to put it in a fridge / freezer. It took about 14 days to cure in the fridge.

[@dayoldpepsi652]

It’s almost October once more and time for the yearly tradition of encasing a pumpkin in reason, I can’t wait to see what they do this year

[@hellcat0123]

I love that this has become a yearly tradition. Please don't change this.

[@courtneycamera1]

Typically if I want a pumpkin to last longer in general I wipe it down with some bleach or something just so it stays orange longer and it doesn’t rot as fast. That might be something worth trying next year!

[@Spursin]

Vinegar works as well, and is a safe alternative for wildlife if they take a few munches from the pumpkin!

[@steviematthew]

Try using vinegar, safer for everyone: ))

[@shadowwolf9795]

@@steviematthew if they are covering it in resin no animals will munch and its maybe not as dangerous? idk

[@WhiteWolf-lm7gj]

@@shadowwolf9795 I think they meant for the original commenter who presumably puts their pumpkins outside

[@Nirrrina]

You guys could try doing a partnership with harvest right freeze dryers & freeze drying a small pumpkin. Then encase that in resin to keep it from crumbling.

[@anonymouscell]

I can't wait to see how meatball is doing right now and would there be another pumpkin project this year!

[@MaisieMarlowe]

Katelyn's editing is insane! This video must have taken ages just to edit. It looks great and I'm sure that's absolutely due to the amount of time and effort put into it.

[@junerose7868]

I think they have editors now

[@schlorping5156]

@@junerose7868 I’m pretty sure they would have credited them if they had editors

[@cwill2127]

@@junerose7868 I think they said she edits either main channel or their gaming ones, while editor does other? Like she edits main Chanel and editor does game channel. That or I hallucinated it

[@Hufflepuff_cookie]

@@cwill2127 i think you are right, I think they have editors for the gaming Channel.

[@biksw]

@@cwill2127 They have editors for this channel too, not only gaming

[@k.allen007]

The relatability of Evan when the foam overflowed of. "Through my inattention" "what were you paying attention to" "I don't know, I was just spacing out" i laughed so hard and long at how uncomfortably relatable that was

[@SarahBeth5213]

This video was GLORIOUS! I can't wait to see Meatballs 1 year update. He looked so cool all lit up. Love you guys! Keep doing what you do!

[@thelavendercreator6549]

best part of october is waiting to see what these two do to a pumpkin next

[@mokaakashiya9318]

From what I’ve seen, it actually expands the life of your pumpkin to cut the bottom instead of the top because the stem being cut off makes it go bad faster.

[@QwertyKite]

I'm only 10 minutes in but I just have to stop and say that this pumpkin saga is my absolute favorite. Please keep finding absurd ways to preserve pumpkins with resin for years to come.

[@IanZainea1990]

15:30 pumpkins indoors rot very quickly. It's the cold outside that makes them last... Found that out in a very similar way once lol

[@delmothurifera6175]

Hey, microbiologist here. I have a similar problem (just tinier scale) and I might be able to suggest a few solutions. The main one being... freeze drying? Cut a small of pumpkin, freeze it for about 4h and then stick it in the vacuum chamber, then close the valve and put the vacuum chamber in the freezer for about 3 days. I would also start by wearing gloves and scrubbing the surface of the pumkin in rubbbing alcohol (70% works best). There are other "drying" methods you could use, e.g. a serial dilution of ethanol. This usually is followed by a round of dilutions with acetone, but you can do resin dilutions. This method substitutes the water in the pumkin cells with resin. There are preservatives you can use but all of them toxic. My final and craziest idea would be metal vapour deposition. The chambers are not hard to build (The thought emporium video on youtube) and you could coat the piece of freeze dried pumkin in copper. Could look very cool.

[@ailliar3287]

You don't understand how much I look forward to this series every year now

[@jetanimations]

@Nancy Pelosi Nancy wth 😊

[@TiranMaster]

The dejected resin time from Katelyn really killed me, just such a mood after a long an exhausting process. Really great video!

[@thatrandomkitkat]

I'm so excited for this year's Yam update & possible new pumpkin!!

[@JaspurrDesigns]

You could try a white pumpkin next year to minimize the look of any delamination?

[@FearsomeSheep]

Please try TINY PUMPKINS! You can submerge them completely in 1 pour and can potentially do many to test different variables. Also love the idea of lots of tiny siblings for Meatball. Long live Meatball.

[@Deepsleepkitty]

I second this idea!

[@candiwalkowski7480]

Do you think the resin curing cooks the pumpkin enough it releases juice? Maybe experiment with chunks of pumpkin and different resins. You could also experiment with the pumpkin chunks to see if degassing the pumpkin as it’s curing does any good. If it works, you might have to makeshift a pressure chamber big enough for a pumpkin so you can remove and keep out air as you set layers. Or try a smaller pumpkin and chamber. It might be smaller than you were initially aiming for, but bigger Jack-o-lantern pumpkins have a lot more water content than smaller pumpkins do.

[@ashrowan2143]

If the pumpkin only juiced with this attempt that could be the cause, but since the thinly coated first attempt also juiced I don't think that's the cause, most of the time if you are concerned about heat harming what your casting with very thin layers will protect it from the heat since such small amounts are curing at once that the heat is minimal thick pours are usually the only time you have to worry about heat

[@NickCombs]

I think it's just because pumpkins hold a lot of water and carving it destroys a lot of cell walls.

[@s.r.nulton9480]

It was definitely cooking in that resin. That would account for the shrinking

[@Jehty21]

@@NickCombs so you're saying don't carve the pumpkin? Might be a good idea :)

[@Babybambibertie]

Ah I commented the same before I looked at the comments! :)

[@ashleyknits]

It is 2023 and I cannot WAIT for a Meatball reveal. I am so excited for an update 😂😂

[@PixelTheViveine]

It is almost time!

[@anayaart]

Yyyeeeeesss👀👀🎃🎃🎉🎉

[@hannahmaus9898]

Heyoo. Just a heads up guys, if you didn't already know, the vast majority of produce has a wax coating on it to preserve freshness and make it more shiny for looks. That initial "white" that you saw from the very beginning is more than likely the wax. Also, thank you for this! I loved the other pumpkin videos you've done ❤ yall are the greatest!

[@dr.sawdust4278]

Dont, its a scammer

[@blue4669]

I believe chefs boil water to steam the fruit/veggies' wax off

[@joshual1021]

Yup. The heat from the resin curing is what melted it.

[@RaeCarson]

This is SO TRUE!! Clever catch! To Evan and Kate: Go and pick out pumpkins from the REAL patch next time, not from the grocery store. xD They will be nice and organically wax-free!!

[@Aurelia1985]

Also plants make their own wax apart from whatever a packer/shipper may apply. It protects the produce from rain & pests. So organic or backyard produce is likely to still have some waxy coating.

[@foxchicka15]

Our pumpkins rotted fast, too!! Like, 3-4 days! I also thought it was bizarre because i feel like they used to last 2 weeks easy!

[@dalhousiekid]

Organic objects MUST be thoroughly dried or it will mold. Example, only dried flowers etc.

[@alexconsuelo]

It's so weird! Mine still always last 2-3 weeks after carving. Is it down to different climates maybe? More humid etc?

[@EmpressEllie]

As a kid, they did last longer! Mine lasted 2 days this year and got pumpkin juice everywhere. Didn’t even get to carve it. Meanwhile the squash I pulled from my own garden are several weeks old and totally fine still.

[@keltieem]

I wondered if it was because they had it indoors in the warm!

[@BrianJ1962]

Ooo... It's nearly update time... 🎵Update time, update time, do do do do update time🎵

[@katanah3195]

Can't wait to see the 2023 resin pumpkins, guys! Loving this saga.

[@karacoop]

I love how you “emotionally “ connect with the pumpkins. It makes the video so cute 😅😊❤

[@EvanAndKatelyn]

that tends to happen when you name them! especially when they have such cute faces...

[@DfknG85]

B&M Sculptures has a technique that chills the resin and then he puts it in a chest fridge so he can do the entire deep pour in one go. Might be worth checking him out for next year.

[@thebluepineapple684]

I saw B&M and as a coaster enthusiast, lost it.

[@sashapetrycki9588]

Wow I just commented something like this too!! BM Sculptures is sick and yeah if they wanna do some really deep pours, they should check him out!

[@evenstar197]

I’m excited for this year’s pumpkin!!!! I come back every year hopeful 🎉

[@davidwilhelem5288]

I'm a bit late. But the reason why Meatball got white is because of the heat of the resin too. You can see that the smaller amount was fine and the big amount was as white as snow. Correct me pls if I'm wrong but this makes sense to me😅

[@yazzmatazz86]

The ups and downs in this video are pretty much a typical week in the lab was like for me during my biochemistry graduate studies, including the freak outs and the rush to salvage whatever I was doing, and the joy in getting a result that was close to my initial vision/goal. Love it!!

[@Saitaina]

Biochem, where you scream at things to stop doing things.

[@jvleugels]

Next step is to silicone mold a fresh pumpkin, and pour colored resin in there to make your own Resin version of the pumpkin. So no more juices can be inside.

[@JlNXED]

Would be fun but lot of carving after hand to get it to resemble a carved pumpkin, I love it though

[@jaredloveless]

I like how the video shows the setbacks and things they tried to get back on track.

[@chaosdestructionlove]

Hoping for another sequel to the pumpkin adventures this year😂

[@JessWLStuart]

Evan: "For the most part, things are working!" Katelyn: "They are. Except everything that didn't!" - Evan and Katelyn, 2022

[@soupystudios4813]

I really just love how much detail they put into their sponsors. My favorite part of the video was also when Evan said "it's pumpkin' time" and pumpkined everywhere and left. Wait a minute... PUMPKINS ARE FOR PHOTO SHOOTING AND WHAT NOW? 🤨 oh well, just remember! Not even the release of death can save them from our cold resin grip!

[@biksw]

The little details!!

[@lauranolastnamegiven3385]

@@biksw because they knew we would slow it down, or pause it *guilty*

[@biksw]

@@lauranolastnamegiven3385 it's nice to know people pause and read! I love writing fun nonsense lol

[@bitter_1308]

2:32 I like how the subtitles just casually say „let’s f*ck“

[@gracebromley9235]

I don’t know enough about resin to know if this is a good idea or not, but have you seen that thing where people use orbeez in a tank/vessel then fill it with water and they disappear? What if you made little resin marbles to fill and surround it, then topped it off with resin to make them disappear? Alternatively, I still think resin marbles would be pretty cool. You could make a load in a variety of colours and create a whole new form of galaxy or arrange them in a rainbow formation to fill hollow acrylic chair backs or table legs.

[@coder0xff]

The pre-cured resin marbles is brilliant

[@alipenn5302]

They did something like this! When they made bucket stools, Evan used marbles to reduce the volume of resin he'd need!

[@nikopaseman7147]

That's a great idea. with pre-cured scraps, that pour coulda been done in one or maybe two. Plus it would generate less overall heat, and cook the flesh a lot less. So, less juice!

[@ryanfogarty7691]

Next year try hitting the skin of the pumpkin with a microabrasive sheet before you do the resin. The waxy skin is probably why it is pulling away from the resin and adding slight imperfections will help is stick better. (It works for painting some plastics!)

[@0denku0]

This has convinced me that mold is scarier than we give it credit for

[@jesse4839]

Their experiment was crazy fun to watch but is fataly flawed. The temperature of the resin is actually making the pumpkin mold and "juice" faster

[@0denku0]

@@jesse4839 ok yeah but that wouldn't apply to the dehydrated one then. And the mold prevailed! All I'm saying is resin is forever but mold is stronger

[@notaxis]

ik this is from a month ago but!! chances are, their home is kept pretty warm or at least room temp which is abt 70-80°F which is BASICALLY the perfect temp for mold to thrive tbh! sort of like how bread can mold fast even in a sealed bag! it's mostly temperature and moisture from air or in this case ... from pumpkin

[@zr9990]

I can’t wait for the pumpkin video of 2023! I need to see a meatball update!