Decorative gourds – nearly as popular as the ubiquitous Pumpkin Spice Latte this fall! Want to keep your gourds looking fresh right through autumn? You may want to try drying them to keep them from getting “icky” around Halloween. Here’s how you can dry small pumpkins and gourds to use them in fall decoration:
Cleaning and curing
Rinse the fruit with clean water to remove all dirt and debris. Then disinfect the rinds by rubbing with a cloth dabbed in full-strength distilled vinegar or bleach solution. Next, use a clean cloth to dry them.
Select the right spot for drying
The ideal location for drying gourds should be well ventilated, cool and dark. If the air circulation is poor, you can leave a fan running in the room (if there are any windows, leave them open). You can place the pumpkins and gourds on drying racks or even separate them using chicken wire to allow for air circulation under the fruits. Make sure to position them so none of the gourds are touching each other.
Check the gourds regularly
Rot or infections can spread from one fruit to another in little time, so inspect the fruits regularly. Early mold growth can be safely removed with a butter knife without damaging the fruit. Just scrape off the growth, disinfect with vinegar, wipe dry and return the fruit to storage. Discard of all rotted fruits. Different varieties can take different time periods to dry completely. You can shake the gourds to check if they’ve dried up- you’ll be able to hear the seeds rattle if you shake a dry gourd.
Decoration ideas
Dried gourds will last through fall, so incorporate them into your Halloween and Thanksgiving decorations! A few colorful pumpkins and gourds stacked up on a large plate or bowl is one of the simplest centerpieces you’ll find. Acryllic paint, or even most spray paints, work well on dried rinds and are great for drawing faces or patterns. Bird lovers can carve dried pumpkins and gourds to create bird feeders to hang out the windows. Garlands adorned with pumpkins and gourds are a wonderful way of imbuing your place with a festive feel. It’s simple- tie a cluster of small sized fruits and leaves on a long twine and hang the garland along the wall or window.