Day 307: I'm almost afraid to say this, thinking of chickens counted before they're hatched, but it looks like I'm actually going to get some kiwi berries from my vines this year. The last few days of temps in the upper 90s have not caused them to drop. There are at least a hundred end-of-thumb sized fruits, about as large as they are expected to get on this variety. How long will it take them to ripen? That's what I'm trying to research this morning. So far, I've learned that they can be picked ahead of frost, kept in cold storage for up to six weeks, and ripened in four or five days on the counter. Ripe berries have black seeds, although they may not reach their full sugar potential until somewhat later. One grower recommends that they be harvested at 8 Brix, and that the sugar content can be measured by squeezing a little juice onto a hand-held refractometer. I think in this case, I'll put the science aside and just pop one in my mouth after they've begun to soften.
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