The severely - shelled bushel gourds I grow last time of year had been hanging up in my garage for several calendar month before I noticed any significant change . Then , practically overnight , they ’d become lighter and covered with molds in shades of pink , grey , tan and black .
While this stage doesn’tlookvery appealing , the molds actually help to degrade and soften my gourds ’ outer skins . This process makes remove that outer epidermis much easier .
And once I slough off that good deal ? I expose the gourd ’s knockout , gilded shell — complete with intricate splodge and orbitual patterns the mold left behind .
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Why Clean Them?
“ A [ cleaned ] gourd is very similar to basswood , ” says TeriLu Adler . AnIndiana Artisanand proprietor ofPurple Pig Studios Creative Arts , Adler has been sour with gourd for more than 20 years . Once strip , gourds provide artists like Adler with hard , impermeable canvases .
She continues , “ Because you do n’t have to get by with [ Sir Henry Joseph Wood ] food grain and sap , calabash are pure for thing like wood - burning and cutting . ”
Although not every craftsman removes their gourd ’ exterior pelt , Adler thinks they should . “ If you do n’t [ remove the epidermidis ] , it can slide off on its own in the hereafter , and all your artwork would be drop off . ”
Original works by TeriLu Adler. (Courtesy photos.)
‘Gourd Flu’?
Exterior cleaning , interior formulation and even some gourd crafting techniques can pose wellness risks , if you are n’t thrifty . “ Many people are very sensitive to that mould [ on the gourd epidermis ] , ” Adler notes . “ That is one version of ‘ gourd flu . ’ They inhale that mould and it creates a respiratory issuance for them . ”
To extenuate your risk , wear down a gas helmet or N95 mask while cleaning gourd and clean them alfresco . You might also want to wear goggles and glove .
“ I ’m not that raw to calabash , but I do clean them subaqueous , ” Adler say . “ I bring them into the house and soak them in my kitchen sinkhole . Some people will impart bleaching agent , but I ’ve never thought I needed to . ”
Original works by TeriLu Adler. (Courtesy photos.)
A dash of soap , a alloy scrubby — and some arcdegree of solitaire — are usually all it takes . ( I scrubbed my gourd sportsmanlike using small , circular motions.)Original works by TeriLu Adler . ( Courtesy photos . )
Other Methods
There are less toil - intensive ways to expose your gourds ’ hard shells . For instance , Adler proceed , “ Some people lay to rest them in potting soil and let them sit around . ”
She has been be intimate to put her calabash and some water in black crank base and place those on an asphalt driveway . “ I ’d let them bake for a day or two , ” Adler enunciate . “ The point is just to get that skin to loosen , because sometimes it ’s just almost impossible to take away . ”
How well the epidermis come free look in part on the type of gourd you have . The way you store your dry gourds is another factor . “ When I ’ve grown them , I leave behind mine outside through the winter , because that immobilize - and - warming [ cycle ] loosens that epidermis and create it easier to absent , ” Adler articulate .
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Greenscraping
Adler has also try out “ greenscraping ” with mixed success . “ Once their gourd are mature , some masses — instead of allow them sit outside all wintertime — they’ll take a butter knife and literally scrape that epidermis off , ” she excuse .
The welfare ? Without that outer skin , the gourd wo n’t mold . “ That ’s how they have gourds that have no blemishes on them , ” she go on . “ I personally kind of like the mold patterns . ”
Still , greenscaping can be risky . Greenscraped calabash can shrivel , collapse or even give way — peculiarly if they were n’t wholly ripe or if they dry out too quickly .
On the Inside
plan to make basketful or bowls out of your gourds ? That means cutting them open — and creating fine dust in the process . “ That is the 2nd kind of ‘ gourd flu , ’ ” Adler tell . “ masses breathe in that dust just like a woodman , so they should always wear a inhalator when cutting . ”
queer a gourd ’s dried cum and pulp can further trigger respiratory reply . So can scrape and sanding the interior of the gourd . In addition to wearing protective paraphernalia , debate taking these activities outside .
Of naturally , unless you ’re saving ejaculate , it is n’t always necessary to dispatch your gourds ’ guts . “ A lot of people make them into birdhouse , and I can tell you from experience that birds do n’t care what ’s inside , ” Adler aver .
“ So , I usually just cut a hole out for the birdhouse and let the razz clean up what they do n’t require . ”
Long-Term Storage
Adler stored her cleanse gourds in airtight , plastic bins . “ If your gourds are sparse , the computer mouse will go after them , ” she warn .
But , if you’re able to keep the shiner away ? ruined piece — especially thickly - walled , heavily - shelled gourds — can last for decades .
