Can you dry gourds

Grown on fences or trellises gourds produce large leaves, yellow or white flowers and, of course, funky shaped fruits. This year I planted bird house gourds Lagenaria sicerana. These are the type that look like they have been squeezed in the middle creating bulbous ends. I sowed the seeds in early summer beside two pyramid trellises, which the vines quickly covered. The best way to tell if a gourd is ready to harvest is by look and feel. The vine will begin to die back and the skin of the gourd will be hard and pale.

An immature gourd feels fleshy and is bright green. Some people contend that fruits should be gathered before a frost while others maintain that you can leave them on the vine to dry, even after a hard freeze. Experience has taught me that when you harvest them depends on if the gourds are fully ripened. I leave the mature gourds on the vine until I do my fall clean up, which is usually after the first killing frost. The only other drawback to leaving gourds out after a frost is that the cold temperatures will damage the seeds.

So if you are hoping to save seeds for sowing next year, bring in all your gourds before the first frost. Use sharp pruners so you can make a nice, clean cut. And leave about 2 inches of stem intact. This little bit of stem is important because it facilitates the evaporation of water.

Gourds are about 90 percent water. If a soft spot forms, discard the gourd. When you hear the seeds rattle inside, it means the gourds are completely dry. Dried gourds are fragile; handle them with care. This article was published by the staff at Farmers' Almanac. Interested in becoming a guest author? Contact us to let us know! Moon Phase Calendar. Email Facebook 20 Pinterest Twitter.

About the author Related Posts. Farmers' Almanac Staff. September 22, September 14, Gourds dry the best when left on the vine, but today most of us purchase our gourds. If you are growing your own, simply leave them on the vine and on the ground there is no reason to protect them from the damp ground. If you are like me and purchase your gourds, it can be a bit more difficult.

Gourds that are picked before maturity will be more likely to rot. They need good airflow, and lots of it. Gourds will do best if left out in the elements to dry; rain and freezing temps will not hurt them.

Never scrape the outer skin from your gourd. This is the gourds protection from insects, mold and other forms of decay. It also allows the gourd to breath, letting the liquids inside escape. It is also a bad idea to cut holes in your gourd to remove the insides, again this will only promote decay, not curing. Some people who are more experienced know that you can scrape hard-shell gourds, but it is not recommended for the beginner. As your gourd begins to cure, you will notice large spots of mold.

Black mold, grey mold and white mold all over the skin. This is completely normal, and they should not be cleaned. This is only part of the process, and it will only return if you do.