This story was originally published in October 2018.
Here’s a fun trick to go with your treats this Halloween. It only takes a few household items to make your jack-o-lantern look like it’s losing its lunch.
– Hydrogen peroxide, the stronger, the better
– Dry yeast, hydrated in warm water
– Dish soap, tinted with food coloring
First, carve your pumpkin into a ghoulish visage. Then, pour hydrogen peroxide into a beaker or suitable glass vessel. It has to be small enough to fit inside your hollowed head.
Normal hydrogen peroxide clocks in at three-percent strength. If you can find 12-percent strength, this will work even better. I used hair-coloring developer. Its main ingredient is 12-percent hydrogen peroxide.
Add a spoonful of dish soap to the peroxide and stir in some food coloring. Put the beaker in the pumpkin, then hydrate the dry yeast in some warm water. Stir it around and get all the clumps out.
When you’re ready to make your holiday gourd toss its cookies, add the yeast to the peroxide mixture. Make sure you’re wearing safety glasses when you do this. Be aware that the yeast catalyzes and causes an exothermic reaction — in other words, the foaming barf is hot, so be careful.
That’s it. Have fun grossing out your friends and happy Halloween.
