KiwiCat's updates

Yesterday was my first day back at work, which was intellectually great, but rather tiring. I’m pleased to be back.

My finger still has a long way to go to get proper mobility back but it’s getting well exercised, carefully of course, and I can sort of type with it. It doesn’t hurt to tap a key, it just doesn’t land on the right one without careful management, so mostly I’m typing without it. One more thing to work on.

But today’s goal was to bottle some pears. I’ve never done that but now we have such a prodigious harvest it would be a shame not to.

In our rapid curve learnings about pear crops we were advised that the ones without stalks weren’t worth chilling and ripening. But it seeed so wasteful, and we need to test these things for ourselves, so we went halfway. We didn’t chill them, just ripened them on the bench.

The results were mixed. Some went off, some had bugs in them, some ripened beautifully and others probably needed a little longer. But undeterred they were peeled, quartered and cored, then put into the syrup to soften.

Another thing I should probably avoid in future is pieces that vary so much in size, but it was a learning exercise 😀

It took forever to get it sll done, primarily because I’ve barely been in the kitchen since we moved and I’m not familiar with these elements. They seem to either be colder or hotter than I expect, and with less control than my old ones. I miss my induction hob.

Anyway, we finally got there. I filled one jar. What was left over wouldn’t fill a jar so we’ll have them for dessert tonight.

All in all I’m pleased, and know a few things for when we start on the next lot. I’m also pleased these pears aren’t ging to waste.

Now for a rest.