Introduction: Cast the Inside of a Vegetable

By Ryan M. Odom

We all know that many vegetables such as peppers and squash have hollow voids on the inside but have you ever wondered what this negative space would look like if it were a solid volume?

Here's a photo of a butternut squash that I cast the inside of a few days ago but for this Instructable we will use a green pepper.

You Will Need:

  1. Plaster of Paris
  2. Large Plastic Syringe - I like to use these.
  3. Water
  4. A Medium Size Mixing Bowl
  5. Hollow Vegetables Of Your Choice

Step 1: Prepare Your Vegetable

Cut two small holes in the top of your vegetable that pierce through to the interior hollow space. One hole should be large enough to insert the tip of the syringe and the other hole can be just large enough for air to escape as you inject the plaster inside.

Step 2: Mix the Plaster

Mix your plaster according to the package instructions. Each vegetable will have a different size hollow cavity so make sure you mix enough to fill your vegetable. The end result of the mixed plaster should be a mixture that is slightly thinner than pancake batter. Proceed to the next step as quickly as possible because the plaster will harden within just a few minutes.

Here is a great Instructable I found by AndyLikesBikes which breaks down the process of mixing plaster step-by-step.

Step 3: Inject the Plaster Into Your Vegetable

Now that you have the plaster mixed and ready to go, take your syringe and fill it with the liquid plaster. Next, inject the plaster inside your vegetable. You may need to inject several syringes full of plaster to fill up the entire space inside.

Let the plaster solidify for about 1-2 hours.

Step 4: Cut Your Vegetable Open

Cut the vegetable open to reveal the plaster object inside. There may be seeds and vegetable bits stuck in the plaster–this is okay because as the plaster dries it will become easier to remove.

Note the texture of the cellular walls. Peppers have several hollow seed chambers. Casting them allows the slightly different shapes of each of the chambers to be seen.

What else can be observed or discovered from casting hollow voids? What other things can be cast using this method? Try it out for yourself and let me know in the comments!