Blue Hill science teacher shows how to make ‘puking pumpkins’
Nov. 2, 2026
By John Boit
Science teacher Amy Bebell demonstrates an exothermic reaction using household ingredients and a pumpkin. Vide courtesy of Amy Bebell.
BLUE HILL — Now that Halloween is over, what should one do with all those pumpkins? A Blue Hill science teacher wants to share a post-Halloween trick up her sleeve.
Amy Bebell, who teaches seventh and eighth grade science at Blue Hill Consolidated School, showed her students how to make “puking pumpkins” using just a few household items.”
Bebell shared with The Rising Tide the recipe for what is called an exothermic reaction—when a substance releases energy into its surroundings—and that requires three basic steps.
If you try this recipe at home, be sure to wear safety glasses.
1) Into the pumpkin, pour a half cup of hydrogen peroxide. You can use the mild hydrogen peroxide found in the pharmacy, but stronger 6% solutions work better and may be found at beauty supply stores. Add a few drops of your favorite food coloring. Add one tablespoon of liquid dish soap. Mix that all up inside the pumpkin.
2) In a separate cup or container, combine three tablespoons of warm water and one tablespoon of dry yeast. Mix that up for about 30 seconds.
3) Pour the yeast and water mixture into the pumpkin. Put the lid on the top of the pumpkin and watch the mixture ooze out of the eyes, nose and mouth.
The reaction basically breaks oxygen molecules off from the hydrogen peroxide, causing bubbles and a mild amount of heat.
