I bought a couple of small gourds today at the grocery store, I'm not
sure if they are cucurbita or lagenaria. They *look* like bottle
gourds, but are a little too colorful. I want to try curing and drying
them to make yerba mate cups. (the shells might not be thick enough if
they are cucurbits) They are still kind of heavy and solid.

Do I dry them whole, or cut the necks off and scoop them out before drying?

I thought all gourds were lagenaria when I bought them, and that's what
made them gourds instead of squash. For $2 I learned something today
that I should have known already, so it wasn't a total waste

Bob