Gourd Canteens

happychick · #1 10/12/11, 07:54 PM

I have grown some gourds this year, (picked them a couple of weeks ago) that are the right size/shape for canteens, (if you're wondering why, I do reenacting and they are very expensive to buy).
I'm wanting to know how to make them as I haven't done it before. Should I hollow them out and then let them dry? Or should I leave them so many weeks and then hollow them out? I don't want them to go moldy... plan on lining them with beeawax to seal them. Any help/tips would be appreciated - Thanks!

Malamute · #2 10/12/11, 09:03 PM

I can't help you directly, but on the BushcraftUSA forum they make all sorts of things like that. You may have luck there if you don't get a response here that can help.

What sort of reenacting do you do?

nc_mtn · #3 10/12/11, 09:55 PM

I was going to do some a few years ago but never got around to finishing them. At the time when I read up on it, you are to let them hang and dry (you could have left them on the vine but not a big deal). When they are dry, you can hear the seeds rattle inside, then you can cut the top (if you're using a cork to replace, have it to mark the size hole). They turn kinda funky on the outside until they dry. While you wouldn't want to for what you're trying to accomplish, you could clean them and then cover it with a clear finish to make shiny.

Rusty'sDog · #4 10/12/11, 11:55 PM

If you are interested in gourd cultivation/crafts, I highly recommend this site:

American Gourd Society Home Page

happychick · #5 10/13/11, 03:08 PM

Thanks folks - I'll have to check those sites out!

Malamute, I recently started doing reenacting at a pre 1840s living history site near me, and am getting into Civil War reenacting as well. Gourd canteens are quite useful and popular for a range of time periods, and as I have a huge garden anyway I thought I'd make my own.

Last year I had some I was going to make into birdhouses, sat them in a dry place in the garage and just left them alone. They completely went rotten, not just on the outside. I don't want that to happen to these nice ones I've grown. the reason I picked them from the vine was they were growing hanging on a fence, the vine was dead and I didn't want them to fall and sit in the rain.

happychick · #6 10/26/11, 09:44 PM

I sure hope I do these right, I don't want them to rot!

Malamute · #7 10/26/11, 09:52 PM

I missed your earlier reply. Sounds interesting.

Hope it goes well.

jwal10 · #8 10/26/11, 10:39 PM

http://www.liv18thc.com/gourdtext.html

....James

happychick · #9 10/28/11, 09:41 PM

Thank you so much for that very informative link jwal10 - it answered a lot of my questions! Sounds like you make a lot of gourd canteens...I would be very interested in learning more about what varieties of gourds you grow for the different kinds/shapes of canteens! I'm hoping to get the seeds for the best varieties planted in the coming spring so I can make several more. I need some, plus I know LOTS of people in my area that would love to have some well-made gourd canteens to use for their reenacting too.
Thanks!

happychick · #10 11/09/11, 07:46 PM

Here's a picture of the 2 gourds I'm thinking about making into canteens...What do you think, will they work? I have moved them into my basement, sitting on newspaper.

KMA1 · #11 11/10/11, 08:29 AM

Not sure how other people do it, but my Grandfather always left his hanging on the vine to dry, or if it was a wet year hung them inside his corn crib (think unchinked log building). I think your problem may be that you need to put them in a drier place with more access to natural air movement to dry. I know he would always dry a lot more than he planned on using as well, so there were extras in case of loosing a few to cracks or rot.

happychick · #12 11/10/11, 06:39 PM

Good point. I don't have a corn crib...I didn't leave them on the vine because the vines broke and I didn't want them sitting in the mud. Yes, I probably should grow a few more in case one or two don't come out well, but I only had 2 grow on the plants...

HappyFarmer · #13 11/10/11, 07:48 PM

A couple of years ago we grew gourds to make birdhouses for Christmas presents from my grandson. We ended up growing 25 of them good enough for our project.

We set them out to dry in the barn, after maybe a month or so I started to see some rotting. Then more. Afraid we would lose them all, we drilled the hole for the birds, and scooped out whatever we could get (with a screwdriver) of the innards/guts. They dried after that no more rotting. We ended up with about 7 or 8 gourds to paint.
HF

happychick · #14 11/13/11, 11:10 AM

happyfarmer, I did the same thing - I grew some for birdhouses but they went rotten. that's why I started this topic to make sure if I wait to gut them until they're dried, or do it first...

NickieL · #15 11/13/11, 12:18 PM

I jsut keep my gourds outside through the winter, I do pick them, and put them on wire off the ground so there is air circulation, they freeze and thaw with the winter over and over and by spring are dry and ready to clean.

Zephaniah · #16 11/14/11, 02:04 AM

I made bird houses out of them all the time. With the right size hole - wrens love them. You should see them fight over all the gourds I had hanging around. any way you need to hang them to dry for circulation. They get moldy looking but thats OK. as long as they dont get soft. By spring they should be dry and ready for what ever use you need

volleypc · #17 12/18/11, 07:37 PM

I grow a few gourds and wanted to add that gourds often rot because they are picked to soon. I wait till the vines are completely dead and withered before harvesting. Some are still in the field actually.

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Goldie · #18 12/18/11, 08:59 PM

I too have made gourd projects, but have always left my gourds to dry on the vine before picking. Sometimes it was Spring before I got around to picking them, and by then, the seeds rattled inside the gourds. If you pick them green, they rot. You have reminded me to plant some seeds this next Spring.

truckdriverx72 · #19 12/19/11, 06:59 AM

Perhaps it would be better to leave your gourds in a cooler temperature to dry, think garage, shed, etc. For sure, DON'T let them touch each other- they need air all the way around them. Leave alone till Spring. Just my experience-

happychick · #20 12/19/11, 03:25 PM

Thanks for all the additional advice folks, I appreciate it.
Right now, they are in a open box in the basement...Looking terribly moldy. However upon closer inspection they are not soft, and feel much lighter when picked up. I hope they turn out ok!

Sounds like I'll wait until spring to cut they open and seal with beeswax for canteens.
I didn't pick them until the gourd plant was totally dead, so they weren't picked green. However, in their present location they don't have all that much air circulation...Is it really ok to let them freeze and thaw? If so I could move them to the garage, I was just afraid to because last year I had two out there (different kind though), and they both went rotton.