"dkra" wrote in message
newsottedmeatproduct- Speaking from experience, I can say that the color
is a necessary but not
sufficient indicator of ripeness.

Let them get good and orange and good and _hard_ -- hard enough that the
rind can't be punctured by your fingernail. I think it's also good to
wait until the stem is fully dry. By then the vines should be dead or
dying anyhow.


Thanks, that info will help a lot. I wish there was a similar test to
determine when to pick pears!

karen