Make this the year you finally master Halloween pumpkin carving. Sarah Kiryshin gives us the inside scoop on how to do a good (or ghoulish) one.

Whether you like them warty and terrifying, plump and cute, or extremely elaborate, now is the perfect time to get pumpkin planning for Halloween on October 31st.

We caught up with recipe developer and stylist Sarah Kiryshin from Content Bites to learn the how, why and what next when it comes to ghoulish gourds.

Sarah Kiryshin and pumpkin friends. Simon Schluter

Choose your pumpkin

The pumpkins that are best for carving generally taste terrible: they are bred for structure, not sweetness. Buy bright orange Jack O’ Lanterns and Warty Goblins at Leaf in Melbourne and Fruitologist in Sydney. An increasing number of supermarkets stock Halloween pumpkins, too.

The larger the pumpkin, the easier it will be to carve neat shapes, especially for beginners. When choosing a pumpkin, look for wide, flat areas. “You want a consistent surface,” says Sarah.…