Shrunken
Apple Heads
Start with an apple. The larger the better. It will shrink quite a bit.
Then remove most of the skin using a vegetable peeler. You can leave a
little at the top and bottom. Now take a small knife and carve a face.
It will take some practice getting it right, but after several attempts
you should get a feel for it.
Here are some tips:
- Make the features (nose, mouth) big. Shrinkage will reduce them
more than you will realize.
- Use toothpicks for the details.
- Round and smooth the surface of the "head" using a rag or paper
towel.
- Try not to gouge too deeply with the knife as cuts left in the surface
may be magnified after shrinking.
Once carved, you must "pickle" your apple/head. Immerse it in a solution
of 1/2 cup of salt mixed with about 4-6 cups of water. Adding 2 or 3 tablespoons
of lemon juice will keep it from oxidizing. Let it soak for 24 hours.
Remove it from the water. Straighten out a paper clip or stiff wire and
form a small loop in one end. This will be used to pass a string through.
Stick the clip through the top of the apple and down through the bottom.
Bend the clip at the bottom to hold it in place. The apple/head is then
hung from a string by the clip. You will need to hang it where it will
stay dry. After about 2 or 3 weeks, it should be ready.
If you live in a very humid place and your apple shrunken head tends to
rot instead of drying, try speeding things up a bit by placing it on the
center rack of a warm oven (200 deg. F) until dry.
You can try blackening it with charcoal if you wish. Coat it with a clear
matte finish such as polyurethane or shellac to keep moisture from damaging
it. If you want it to look more like a "real" Tsantsa, the lips can be
sewn with cotton strings, and fake hair can be attached. |
