Success is getting what you want; happiness is liking what you get

Saturday 6 June 2009

Hard at work

No complaints about the weather today – we were having a weekend at home after being away last weekend in atrocious weather, and it was good to get those long overdue jobs done.   Fluttering outside was our New Zealand flag on the flagpole.  Robin decided to make the most of the sunny afternoon and clean our 4WD.  After a trip down to the coast last weekend along an unsealed road, it certainly needed cleaning.

DSCF1384  Robin hard at work

It has been a matter of “hubble bubble” in the kitchen while I was boiling up a batch of Kiwifruit jam.  When we were growing up these little furry fruits were known as Chinese Gooseberries.   More than a century ago in 1904, Isabel Fraser returned from a trip to China with some very special black seeds. Horticulturist, Alexander Allison sprouted those seeds and in doing so, started the beginnings of growing Kiwifruit in New Zealand.  These days  Kiwifruit come with either green or the newer gold flesh.

3 comments:

Derek and Dot said...

My recollection of chinese gooseberries were small green things about the size of a grape shiny with small thorny things on the fruit and grew on small bushes, they also made good jam. Do you have an Aunt Daisy cookbook I think the recipe and how to prepare them is in there? Mine is at home packed away.
In this country kiwifruit are just called Kiwis, there are a lot around but not sure where they come from. Great for regularity though!!

Jenny and Robin said...

Perhaps you are thinking of gooseberry bushes? You certainly made jam from gooseberries but had to top and tail them to take the little bits off.

Derek and Dot said...

Yes thats right, were they cape gooseberries?