On smaller gourds this is not as critical, but on larger gourds that take longer to dry, this will leave scrape lines which you will not be able to remove once the gourd is dry. However, to be on the safe side, after scraping the skin off my gourds, I then take them to the sink with running water, and use the copper Chore Boy, and lightly scrub off any remaining skin, until the surface is smooth and evenly colored.

Now that you have the skin removed, the gourd will dry much faster, however, once again with the larger gourds, they can still remain damp long enough to culture Mold, which will leave discoloration spots on the gourds. Simply wipe the gourd every couple days with a damp rag of bleach solution to prevent the growth of Mold, OR, our method of drying the gourd is in the oven!!! That’s right, turn your oven on warm, (around 175 degree’s F), and place your gourd inside on the rack, (now you have a good reason to clean your oven racks.)