From gourd to sponge

(*The last post was just me complaining about having to do the tree thing so I figured I’d make it up to you with a gourd post.)

Many of the loofahs are drying sufficiently enough to peel; this weekend I decided to process a few to see how difficult this whole deal is going to be.

Processing means:

1. Allowing to dry, preferably on the vine, to the point that the gourd feels light and hollow and the seeds rattle.
2. Breaking the bottom tip off and shaking the seeds out
3. Breaking the top off @ the stem and pulling the “strings” down the sides to break the skins back for peeling. These strings run down the sides under the stripes to the bottom of the gourd. Like opening a FedEx envelope sort of…
4. Peeling the skin off
5. Once peeled, the skeletal innards should be soaked in water with a good shot of bleach in it.
6. After bleaching the loofahs need to be rinsed and allowed to dry.
7. Presto, you have loofah “sponges”.

Still too green and heavy to pick and peel:

Supplemental drying on a warm stack of rocks for those whose vines couldn’t hold them off the ground (I also have wire racks in my new ladder shed with a couple dozen drying under cover):

A few peeled (note the half inch deep layer of black seeds underneath in the bin.

These are actually pretty decent; I was concerned they wouldn’t be tough enough or substantial enough to hold up. I think they will do just fine. These are immersed in a bleach solution in a 5 gallon bucket as I type this. I’ll rinse and let them dry in the sun tomorrow.