Pumpkin skin is notoriously tough—often jamming your knife and making it hard to proceed, with the risk of slipping and cutting yourself. A Japanese farm mother shared a pumpkin-cutting hack on social media that requires no force—the pumpkin simply "pops" open into two halves.
Learn This Simple 4-Step Pumpkin Cutting Method – No Brute Force Needed
According to Japanese media Netorabo, a mother of three and organic farmer, "Karin" (@krn.farm), shared this pumpkin-cutting hack on social media. She says many people buy only pre-cut pumpkin because whole ones are too hard and intimidating to cut with a knife. But with these 4 simple steps, even a whole, tough pumpkin can be easily split open without force:
4 Steps to Cut a Pumpkin Easily
1. Cut a Pentagon Around the Stem
Hold the knife vertically and cut around the top stem to make a pentagonal opening. Don't just press down hard—tap the top of the knife handle gently with your hand to let the blade sink in using impact.
2. Cut a Pentagon at the Bottom
Turn the pumpkin over and repeat the same cut at the bottom (the centre opposite the stem, known as the "flower navel"). You'll now have pentagonal cuts on both the top and bottom.
3. Extend the Cuts from the Pentagon Corners
From one corner of the top pentagon, extend the cut along the pumpkin's curve toward the bottom. Repeat on the opposite side. When the cuts meet, the pumpkin will naturally split in half with a crisp "pop" sound—no need to force the blade all the way through.
4. Remove the Stem and Navel Sections
After the pumpkin splits in half, remove the loosened stem and navel sections. From there, you can easily cut it into chunks or slices as needed.
Important Safety Tip: Karin reminds everyone to use a stable, non-slip cutting board and pay close attention to knife grip and hand position for safety. If storing a whole pumpkin, keep it in a cool, ventilated spot. Once cut, remove the seeds and fibrous core and refrigerate.
The hack has drawn enthusiastic praise online: "Genius!" "I've always struggled with this." "I used to stab at it like crazy." "Definitely trying this!"
Source: Netorabo (ねとらぼ)
