Passionfruit

We have lots of passionfruit.  It is growing up high in a tall tree.  We can't pick it.  The squirrels can.  And when the ripe ones drop to the ground the deer get them.  We have Ung (our helper) climb up the tree and make them fall and gather them off the ground.  Well, we have about 50 of them right now sitting on my counter.  I went through them and sorted the ones which had split on impact and removed the pulp last night.  This afternoon, I made three things with them - Passionfruit Butter (or curd), Passionfruit and Banana Jam (I also have a cage full of banana's which are getting overripe!) and straight Passionfruit Jam.  The problem is my jams never congeal.  We'll see how this one goes.  I didn't have the patience to do the plate in the fridge test.  So... I wish you all could have some and I wish some professional jam makers could coach me better!

We are gearing up for Christmas.  I made some Christmas bunting and we have 25 flags with numbers on them - each with a little activity to do for each day.  We decorated our Christmas "bush" yesterday.  I still need to reorganise our wiring so that we can plug in the lights.  We made a wreath and have that hanging in our window.  It has some crane feathers, made of vines and bamboo.  Ben won't let me harvest any peacock feathers even though they would be very very beautiful.  The male peacock is almost in full feather and is strutting around. He is quite beautiful.  I shall post some pictures when I get around to it.

It is getting cold now, 18 degrees last night.  Need to go and get a shower before we freeze... I shall have to boil water.

Love Sharyn