Q & A with Quaking Bog Botanicals
Q: Will the Pipian dry like gourds?
A: I doubt it. I think the fruits will keep for several months (up to six) in a very cool basement if they are dunked in dilute bleach to kill the microbes on the surface of the fruit. The main reason is that the inside of the squash are so thick with flesh. Gourds have very l.little flesh inside around the seeds. I have several varieties of gourds from some Mohave Indians used to make rattles (small round) but I have some bilobed larger ones if you want to grow some for decorations next year. They need little maintenance but to get nice round gourds you want them to hang so they are not flattened from being on the ground. - Quaking Bog Botanicals