8A Polk County Itemizer-Observer • September 16, 2015
Polk County Living
Best time to harvest pears and apples
Anticipation of ripe pears
and apples peaks in fall as
fruits hang heavily from
branches and begin their
gravity-aided trip to the
ground.
But how do you know
when it’s prime picking
time?
According to Steve
Castagnoli, a horticulturist
with Oregon State Universi-
ty’s Extension Service, the
signs are different for apples
and pears.
“It’s much easier to recog-
nize ripeness in apples,” he
said. “Pears typically won’t
ripen to eating quality on
the tree, so you can’t go out
and taste one.”
Still, there are signs. A
mature pear will snap
briskly and cleanly when
tilted 90 degrees, according
to Castagnoli. With the most
commonly grown varieties
such as Comice, Bosc and
D’Anjou, the fruit will typi-
cally change from green to a
slightly paler color. The flesh
will get lighter and have
some juice on the surface
when cut.
You can also go by matu-
rity dates, which are includ-
ed in OSU Extension’s publi-
cation Picking and Storing
Apples and Pears. However,
dates can vary.
“It depends on when the
season starts,” Castagnoli
said. “We go by bloom time.
In general, the earlier the
bloom, the earlier the har-
Scroggin - 50th
K YM
P OKORNY
Wes and Kay Scroggin
of Dallas are celebrating
their 50th wedding an-
niversary in Vancouver,
B.C., and Victoria, B.C.
Wes Scroggin and Kay
Stipac were married
Sept. 18, 1965, at the
Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter-day Saints in
Portland. The couple
was attended by Gloria
Hunter and Hardy
Scroggin.
The couple has lived
in Polk County for 48
years.
Wes retired in 1997
from Oakdale Elemen-
tary School in Dallas as
the principal. Kay retired in 1997 from teaching at LaCre-
ole Middle School in Dallas.
Wes and Kay love traveling, reading and volunteering.
Their family includes Jason and Ali Scroggin of Tu-
alatin, and Derik Scroggin of West Salem. The couple has
three grandchildren and four great-grandchildren.
Your
Garden
vest dates.”
Except for being a little
smaller than per fectly
ready-to-pick pears, there’s
no harm in taking them off
the tree a few days too early,
he said. The essential part of
ripening pears is keeping
them in cold storage for
about a month, depending
on the variety.
“Ideally, pears should be
stored at below 40 degrees,”
Castagnoli said. “A refrigera-
tor is good, but a freezer is
too cold. An unheated
garage usually will be too
warm.”
To tell when a pear is ripe,
hold it gently but firmly in
the palm of your hand and
press your thumb just below
the point where the stem
joins the fruit. When the
flesh beneath your thumb
yields evenly to gentle pres-
sure, it is time to eat your
pear. If you have to push
more than slightly, it is not
ready yet.
Determining ripeness in
apples, which don’t need
cold storage, is much easier
than for pears, he said.
Color is a useful indication.
Apples may be yellow, red,
P ATTY
T AYLOR
D UTCHER
Columnist
Offering the
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enjoying these last days of
summertime.
—
I-O staff writer Jolene
Guzman’s articles about the
aftermath of the Cascadia
subduction zone earth-
quake have given many of
us the opportunity to learn
a great deal about how to
really prepare for the in-
evitable. Even though we
don’t have a clue about the
“when” of a serious earth-
quake, we can do whatever
possible to be safe until
emergency help arrives. I’m
starting to put together a
few things: a wind-up radio,
blankets, a first-aid kit, pro-
tein bars, plastic bottles of
water, candles, and food
BIRTHS
PHOTO BY BETSY HARTLEY
Pears, which don’t ripen on the tree, need a period of cold
storage before they’re good to eat.
green or combinations of
these colors at harvest.
When the green has almost
completely given way to yel-
low, a yellow variety is ma-
ture. With red blush or
striped apples, the area
where there is no red color
usually changes from green
to yellowish.
Ripe apples are easily sep-
arated from the tree, but
don’t pull the apple down to
pick it. Rather, twist it up-
ward with a rotating motion.
Another sign is when a few
sound apples drop to the
ground, which means the
apples on the tree are nearly
mature.
“The best way to test an
apple for ripeness,” Castag-
noli said, “is to cut it open
and taste it.”
MI TOWN
There’s nothing more fun
to celebrate the beginning
of a new school year than a
football game right here in
MI Town! It was just won-
derful to walk to the West-
ern Oregon University cam-
pus on Saturday to see so
many new and returning
students on campus, and to
just thoroughly enjoy being
in McArthur Stadium for
the beginning of another
football season.
—
Our neighborhoods are
awfully quiet now that the
kids of all ages are off to
school every morning, wait-
ing for the big yellow school
buses or riding with their
friends, away for most of
the day. We’ve enjoyed hear-
ing the sounds of laughter
all summer long as we went
about our daily errands and
chores around the house
and yard. Our neighbor-
hood parks and libraries are
still busy with the younger
children and their parents
ANNIVERSARIES
supplies for us and our
pets. Useful items like can
openers, matches, a plastic
bucket, plastic bags and toi-
let paper for when nature
calls, and clothes — sweat-
shirts, pants, shoes, and
personal care items (razors,
soap, combs) — because it
may be days before help ar-
rives. There are commercial
kits available, and that’s just
fine, but most of us have
items on hand or can buy
them a little at a time so we
are prepared. Be sure to
pick up next week’s I-O to
learn more about being
prepared for Cascadia — or
any other disaster — in
your home.
—
Those of us who have ex-
perienced tornadoes or
floods or other acts of na-
ture have learned to cope
with power failures and
other inconveniences, but
they are usually restored
within hours. We realistical-
ly need to prepare for days
and maybe weeks on our
own without help from oth-
ers. It’s good to know that
our cities and county are
making preparations, as
well.
—
MI Town’s own Western
Oregon University officially
becomes smoke-free on Fri-
day. After many meetings
and discussions cam-
puswide, where students,
faculty, staff and members
of the community could
make suggestions and share
ideas, this was approved.
The smoke-free designation
includes sidewalks
throughout campus.
—
Mother Nature cooperat-
ed just fine with those of us
who participated in — and
shopped at — the Commu-
nity Garage Sale in Main
Street Park in Monmouth a
couple weeks ago. Thanks
to Mark Fancey and all the
folks who worked so hard to
make this a success.
Maxfield
Colton Andrew Maxfield was born to David Maxfield Jr.
and Jennifer Murphy of Rickreall at 6:31 p.m. on Aug. 24 at
Silverton Hospital Family Birth Center.
He weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 20 inches
long.
Colton joins Kaylie, 6, and Quinton, 3.
Grandparents are Bill and Jessica Oleman of Albany;
David and Cheryl Maxfield of Falls City; and Kellie
Sanders of Dallas.
Prescott
Hudson Able Prescott was born to Cody and Rachael
Prescott of Monmouth at 7:27 p.m. on Aug. 26 at Silverton
Hospital Family Birth Center.
He weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces, and was 20.5 inches
long.
Hudson joins Easton, 2.
Grandparents are Jim and Brenda Chapman of Powell
Butte; Timothy Grier of Payson, Ariz.; and Mark and Kim
Prescott of Independence.
Great-grandparents are Basil and Barbara Coxen of
Mount Vernon.
Shea
Liberty KayleyAnn Shea was born to Anthony and
Dawn Shea of Monmouth at 12:30 p.m. on Sept. 1 at
Salem Hospital Family Birth Center.
She weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 20.5 inches
long.
Liberty joins Faith, 11, Harmony, 5, and Glory, 4.
Grandparents are Dawneve Pierce of Independence,
and David and Jeannine Shea of Dallas.
Great-grandmother is Kay Proctor of Salem.
Geiger
Hudson James Titus Geiger was born to Lucas and Ju-
lianna Geiger of Escalon, Calif., at 9:09 p.m. on Aug. 20 at
Memorial Medical Family Birth Center in Modesto, Calif.
He weighed 7 pounds, 3 ounces, and was 19.5 inches
long.
Hudson is the couple’s first child.
Grandparents are John and Kathy Van Vliet of Escalon;
and Steve and Lynette Geiger of Dallas.
Great-grandparents are Walt and Evelyn Roquet of Dal-
las.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
Continued from page 8A
—
TUESDAY, SEPT. 22
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