I have a medlar tree in my orchard that fruited for the first time last
season and it has many new fruit on it now. Eating them raw is something of
an acquired taste as they look fairly repulsive and the texture is poor,
they do taste quite interesting however. I was wondering if anybody has
experience of cooking or preserving with them?

My thinking is that quinces (a close relative) are poor fare when raw but
can be great when cooked properly. I am quite prepared to google for
recipes myself and to experiment if that is what it comes down to but if
there are any other adventurers into rare fruits out there I would be glad
to hear of your first hand experiences.

David

David Hare-Scott wrote:
> I have a medlar tree in my orchard that fruited for the first time last
> season and it has many new fruit on it now. Eating them raw is something of
> an acquired taste as they look fairly repulsive and the texture is poor,
> they do taste quite interesting however. I was wondering if anybody has
> experience of cooking or preserving with them?
>
> My thinking is that quinces (a close relative) are poor fare when raw but
> can be great when cooked properly. I am quite prepared to google for
> recipes myself and to experiment if that is what it comes down to but if
> there are any other adventurers into rare fruits out there I would be glad
> to hear of your first hand experiences.
>
> David
>
>
Most folks I know who have made stuff from medlars just use them like
you would plums. I guess like quince would also work but I've only ever
had quince jelly and there are a myriad of plum preserving recipes out
there. Examples: preserved plums, plum jelly, plum wine, plum pies, etc. HTH

George

>My thinking is that quinces (a close relative) are poor fare when raw but
>can be great when cooked properly. I am quite prepared to google for
>recipes myself and to experiment if that is what it comes down to but if
>there are any other adventurers into rare fruits out there I would be glad
>to hear of your first hand experiences.

The book I have gives one recipe for Medlar Jelly. You can use very
soft or slightly underripe fruit, but the amount of water varies in
the recipe.

2lbs medlars, chopped with skin and seeds
1/2 to 1 pint water (more if underripe, less if very ripe)
1 pound sugar for every pint of strained liquid
Do not give the fruit a second boiling

Variations include adding rind of 3 lemons and 1/4 cup of juice
(instead of that amount of water) or rind of 3 oranges and 1/2 cup of
juice to the boiling medlars.

HelixStalwart wrote:
>>My thinking is that quinces (a close relative) are poor fare when raw but
>>can be great when cooked properly. I am quite prepared to google for
>>recipes myself and to experiment if that is what it comes down to but if
>>there are any other adventurers into rare fruits out there I would be glad
>>to hear of your first hand experiences.
>
>
> The book I have gives one recipe for Medlar Jelly. You can use very
> soft or slightly underripe fruit, but the amount of water varies in
> the recipe.
>
> 2lbs medlars, chopped with skin and seeds
> 1/2 to 1 pint water (more if underripe, less if very ripe)
> 1 pound sugar for every pint of strained liquid
> Do not give the fruit a second boiling
>
> Variations include adding rind of 3 lemons and 1/4 cup of juice
> (instead of that amount of water) or rind of 3 oranges and 1/2 cup of
> juice to the boiling medlars.
The AFRC institute of food research in England in its 1989 edition of
"Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables" says that" medlars are hard
when picked and must be allowed to soften before use. This can take a
few weeks in storage and the fruit should be kept in a cool, dark place.
....they have a low acid content when ripened, lemon juice or acid
must be added. They have a medium pectin content."
I couldn't find my Mrs Beetons book, so don't have any cheese recipes.
However, you usually cook, puree and then cook down wwith sugar til as
thick as you want and sliceable when cold.
Ellen

"ellen wickberg" > wrote in message
news:b9P6f.270560$oW2.154193@pd7tw1no...
> The AFRC institute of food research in England in its 1989 edition of
> "Home Preservation of Fruit and Vegetables" says that" medlars are hard
> when picked and must be allowed to soften before use. This can take a
> few weeks in storage and the fruit should be kept in a cool, dark place.


This is the interesting part about medlars, they must be bletted (ripened
until soft), at this point the flesh looks like a very over-ripe pear, brown
and squishy. You can see why they don't have a big supermarket future. The
flavour is quite interesting, some of the books describe it as a spicy
apple, which is somewhere near it, a pear with cinamon perhaps.

> ....they have a low acid content when ripened, lemon juice or acid
> must be added. They have a medium pectin content."

This is the sort of thing I need, thanks.

David