Kiwi Harvest

Kiwi on the vine

Between rain showers today we picked our crop of kiwi.  Two large bowls full, about 24 pounds.  Some we put in the cold room to keep longer, shared some with our daughters and have some in the pantry to ripen.  They are so delicious and a good source of vitamin C. Perfect timing.

Kiwi (Hayward) Actinidia chinensi Deciduous Vine. A fruit tree and medicinal plant native to China. It lives up to 80 years and will bear for 30 years. Hardy to 10° F. Only one male is needed.  It is pollinated by bees.
Use: Paper is made from the bark.
         The plant is said to have insecticidal properties.
         Branches and leaves boiled in water, the liquid used for treating mange in dogs.
         In China, the fruit and the juice of the stalk are esteemed for expelling “gravel”.
         The scraped stems of the vine are used as rope.
         A tonic for growing children and for women after childbirth.
        Meat can be tenderized by rubbing with the flesh of the fruit. After 10 min. the fruit              must be scraped off, otherwise the enzymatic action will be excessive. The meat                      should be cooked immediately.