THE GREAT PUMPKIN CONTEST OF 2009!!!

Haighr, this years gourds would not be dry, it takes several months to be totally dry through and through... and no, you leave them in the gourd to dry completely .. then you plug the gourd a small hole and rattle them out. The hole might be an inch in circumference, maybe more depending on the gourd and like on the little gourds you cannot save the gourd.. if you want to save the gourd, then you leave the seeds in them. If you want the seeds grom the little gourds youthen just about have to smash the little gourds.They will be dry, probably dusty from the pulp and you can just shake them out on a towel and wipe the dust free. Depends on the gourd how much dust and dry pulp there will be.

My snake gourd is no where done. And I am hoping to save the gourd and get seeds too, but I might not have my cake and eat it too on that one. Time will tell!

Pumpkins are not gourds!

The gourds too, will be dusty on the outside. Try to space them out when drying so they are not touching, that will help them to dry and not rot. Sometimes they will rot.

If you try to dry the pumpkin, it will rot. That is why you remove the seeds when it is still "wet".

Hope that makes sense!

The great pumpkins off my plant, they are carving pumpkins and have a tougher hide than the pie pumpkins. I actually was shocked to find out how hard the shell of these guys were!

Well, one done, 16 more to go.

Thanks for the info, I really thought that I got the seeds earlier from the gourds last year, but now that you say that I kinda recall that the gourd last year had dried and I only saved the seed from one of them thinking that the rest were bad so I pitched them and just planted seed from the one.
Makes sense so will let the rest just dry out completely before smashing!