We made medlar* jelly today. This is only the second crop off the tree so
there is only one jar. The flavour is great (like a spicy aromatic apple)
and the colour is a vibrant clear orange-scarlet, the texture is however,
er, firm to say the least. There are almost no recipes about for medlars so
we adapted from some for quinces. It appears that medlars have much pectin
and more experiments are required. OTOH I may slice it and eat it with
cheese, if anybody is interested I will keep you posted.

Next year we hope to have a bigger crop and will test other recipes and
maybe mix it with quince or apple. I can see why medlars have never made it
to the supermarket as fresh fruit but the jelly/jam/preserves have great
potential.

A while ago my wife went googling for "cumquat jam" (we have a cumquat tree
that produces quite nicely) and ended up at some web pages featuring people
who wanted to do odd things with their clothes off and be photographed doing
it. We never did find out what "cumquat jam" means other than a sweet
preserve made from cumquats. Given the generally civilised nature of this NG
I don't need to be told right now.

I hope I don't get black-listed by your nanny software due to some
connotation or use of "medlar jelly" that I am unaware of.

David

* Medlars are a fruit related to quinces and apples, the appearance and
texture of the fruit is odd, perhaps an acquired taste, but the flavour is
unique. If you grow, or can grow, apples in your area try a medlar for
something different.

There is a tree known as "loquat" that was widely planted in California for
decorative purposes over the past century or more. It is a kind of medlar,
and bears one of my favorite fruits. When I was growing up in southern
California it was widely used for jam and pies, although I only ate it raw.
It has a wonderful taste, sort of a cross between a peach and an orange. You
are very lucky to have a regular supply.

"David Hare-Scott" > wrote in message
...
> We made medlar* jelly today. This is only the second crop off the tree so
> there is only one jar. The flavour is great (like a spicy aromatic apple)
> and the colour is a vibrant clear orange-scarlet, the texture is however,
> er, firm to say the least. There are almost no recipes about for medlars
> so
> we adapted from some for quinces. It appears that medlars have much
> pectin
> and more experiments are required. OTOH I may slice it and eat it with
> cheese, if anybody is interested I will keep you posted.
>
> Next year we hope to have a bigger crop and will test other recipes and
> maybe mix it with quince or apple. I can see why medlars have never made
> it
> to the supermarket as fresh fruit but the jelly/jam/preserves have great
> potential.
>
> A while ago my wife went googling for "cumquat jam" (we have a cumquat
> tree
> that produces quite nicely) and ended up at some web pages featuring
> people
> who wanted to do odd things with their clothes off and be photographed
> doing
> it. We never did find out what "cumquat jam" means other than a sweet
> preserve made from cumquats. Given the generally civilised nature of this
> NG
> I don't need to be told right now.
>
> I hope I don't get black-listed by your nanny software due to some
> connotation or use of "medlar jelly" that I am unaware of.
>
> David
>
> * Medlars are a fruit related to quinces and apples, the appearance and
> texture of the fruit is odd, perhaps an acquired taste, but the flavour is
> unique. If you grow, or can grow, apples in your area try a medlar for
> something different.
>
>

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David Hare-Scott wrote:
> We made medlar* jelly today. This is only the second crop off the tree so
> there is only one jar. The flavour is great (like a spicy aromatic apple)
> and the colour is a vibrant clear orange-scarlet, the texture is however,
> er, firm to say the least. There are almost no recipes about for medlars so
> we adapted from some for quinces. It appears that medlars have much pectin
> and more experiments are required. OTOH I may slice it and eat it with
> cheese, if anybody is interested I will keep you posted.
>
> Next year we hope to have a bigger crop and will test other recipes and
> maybe mix it with quince or apple. I can see why medlars have never made it
> to the supermarket as fresh fruit but the jelly/jam/preserves have great
> potential.
>
> A while ago my wife went googling for "cumquat jam" (we have a cumquat tree
> that produces quite nicely) and ended up at some web pages featuring people
> who wanted to do odd things with their clothes off and be photographed doing
> it. We never did find out what "cumquat jam" means other than a sweet
> preserve made from cumquats. Given the generally civilised nature of this NG
> I don't need to be told right now.

Try spelling the fruit as kumquat David, that's the correct spelling. I
raise two kinds, the little round sweet ones, and the oblong tart ones.
I mix them to make a splendid marmalade. They don't make a decent jam or
jelly but excellent marmalade. Use any orange or other citrus marmalade
recipe and cook them down. I don't add pectin just cook them down until
the marmalade barely sheets off a cold saucer. Be sure to remove all the
seeds and then slice the kumquats into rounds and add the proper amount
of sugar. HTH
>
> I hope I don't get black-listed by your nanny software due to some
> connotation or use of "medlar jelly" that I am unaware of.
>
> David
>
> * Medlars are a fruit related to quinces and apples, the appearance and
> texture of the fruit is odd, perhaps an acquired taste, but the flavour is
> unique. If you grow, or can grow, apples in your area try a medlar for
> something different.
>
>
I've always wanted to try to grow medlars here in SW Louisiana. Apples
don't grow well here but plums do and the pundits at Louisiana State
University say they should do well here.

George

David Hare-Scott wrote:
> We made medlar* jelly today. This is only the second crop off the tree so
> there is only one jar. The flavour is great (like a spicy aromatic apple)
> and the colour is a vibrant clear orange-scarlet, the texture is however,
> er, firm to say the least. There are almost no recipes about for medlars so
> we adapted from some for quinces. It appears that medlars have much pectin
> and more experiments are required. OTOH I may slice it and eat it with
> cheese, if anybody is interested I will keep you posted.
>
> Next year we hope to have a bigger crop and will test other recipes and
> maybe mix it with quince or apple. I can see why medlars have never made it
> to the supermarket as fresh fruit but the jelly/jam/preserves have great
> potential.

My first medlar tree, after producing maybe a dozen or so fruits each
year for three years, suddenly died. No idea why. It was such a
beautiful little tree, with its huge white-pink blossoms and scarlet
fall foliage, that I had to have another one. The new one is a
pathetic replacement, purchased from a local nursery where it had been
sitting around for a few years, but it's starting to look healthier.
Maybe next year it'll produce a fruit or two.

Medlar makes a decent fruit bread, but as you've noticed, the pulp is
very dense. When the new one starts bearing, my plans are to try
medlar butter based on my favorite apple butter recipe but with less
cinnamon as the taste is spicier to begin with. I'd be interested in
seeing your jelly recipe. There are old recipes for quince preserves
that indicate you were supposed to cut it into slices to eat. Sounds
like your medlar jelly.

Catherine
Albion, California

There are a (very) few apples with a low chill requirement that might work
for you. I have no idea of their quality, however.

I would love to taste a medlar if anyone is growing them in Massachusetts.
"Blett" is such a wonderful word!

I do have a Smyrna quince tree. It is a shame, but quince is also a rarity
nowadays.

Dave


"George Shirley" > wrote in message
.. .

> I've always wanted to try to grow medlars here in SW Louisiana. Apples
> don't grow well here but plums do and the pundits at Louisiana State
> University say they should do well here.
>
> George

I've neighbors who are trying the Ein Shimar and the Grannie Smith, the
only two I know that will grow and produce in USDA zone 9b. Of course
the squirrels and birds get all the fruit.

I did find out that crabapples and quince will grow here so I'm thinking
of getting both, if I can find dwarf varieties, no room for full size
trees on this city lot. I can at least make jelly and jam from the plus
the beauty of the blooms. Will probably wait until fall for them and the
thornless blackberries I want to plant. Boysenberries and Dorman
raspberries didn't work but wild blackberries are here by the ton.

I've been looking for half acre to one acre plots a little north of our
city but the folks out there are proud of their land. One little old
lady has two acres with a three acre stocked pond and wants over $300K
for it. If I had that much money I would retire and move back to Texas.

George

David J. Braunegg wrote:
> There are a (very) few apples with a low chill requirement that might work
> for you. I have no idea of their quality, however.
>
> I would love to taste a medlar if anyone is growing them in Massachusetts.
> "Blett" is such a wonderful word!
>
> I do have a Smyrna quince tree. It is a shame, but quince is also a rarity
> nowadays.
>
> Dave
>
>
>

David Hare-Scott wrote:
> We made medlar* jelly today.

> I may slice it and eat it with
> cheese, if anybody is interested I will keep you posted.
>
>

My dad made quince jelly every few years, in memory of his
favorite aunt in Portugal. ("Marmelo" is the Portuguese word
for quince and the origin of "marmalade".)

He ate it on crusty bread with a slice of cheese. I remember it as
being very dense, therefore sliceable. I was never impressed with the
flavor.

gloria p

Puester wrote:

> He ate it on crusty bread with a slice of cheese. I remember it as
> being very dense, therefore sliceable.

According to the Time-Life series, "The Good Cook," a sliceable jam is
called a "fruit cheese."

B/

Brian Mailman wrote:
> Puester wrote:
>
>> He ate it on crusty bread with a slice of cheese. I remember it as
>> being very dense, therefore sliceable.
>
> According to the Time-Life series, "The Good Cook," a sliceable jam is
> called a "fruit cheese."
>
> B/


Probably so, but Dad ate bread, quince jelly and old-fashioned Muenster
cheese cut from a big, round orange-coated wheel. (He was a grocer.)

gloria p

Puester wrote:

> Probably so, but Dad ate bread, quince jelly and old-fashioned Muenster
> cheese cut from a big, round orange-coated wheel. (He was a grocer.)
>
> gloria p

I an't say anything about quince jelly as I have never tried it but I
love guava paste or guava jelly with cheddar cheese!!!

"Nobody" > wrote in message
...
> There is a tree known as "loquat" that was widely planted in California
for
> decorative purposes over the past century or more. It is a kind of medlar,
> and bears one of my favorite fruits. When I was growing up in southern
> California it was widely used for jam and pies, although I only ate it
raw.
> It has a wonderful taste, sort of a cross between a peach and an orange.
You
> are very lucky to have a regular supply.
>

We are not talking about the same fruit. Medlars are about the size of a
golf ball, with a brown skin a bit like a pear but thicker, the end opposite
the stem has a strange rounded depression with a fringe around it, in some
old books they were called the "open arse fruit". When underipe the flesh
is cream and woody like a quince but when ripened (bletted) it goes brown
and soft. The flavour is most like a spicy (some say cinnamon) overripe
apple. Neither the flavour nor the texture are like peaches or oranges.

Apparently the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is sometimes called the Japanese
medlar and it is distantly related to the medlar (Mispilus germanica). I
have tried to grow the loquat but so far withour success, it does not like
frost.

David

"C.Keegan" > wrote in message >
> My first medlar tree, after producing maybe a dozen or so fruits each
> year for three years, suddenly died. No idea why. It was such a
> beautiful little tree, with its huge white-pink blossoms and scarlet
> fall foliage, that I had to have another one. The new one is a
> pathetic replacement, purchased from a local nursery where it had been
> sitting around for a few years, but it's starting to look healthier.
> Maybe next year it'll produce a fruit or two.
>

We had the same experience at the nursery, the turnover is low so they are
carried over from one year to the next in their little plastic bags.

> Medlar makes a decent fruit bread, but as you've noticed, the pulp is
> very dense. When the new one starts bearing, my plans are to try
> medlar butter based on my favorite apple butter recipe but with less
> cinnamon as the taste is spicier to begin with. I'd be interested in
> seeing your jelly recipe.

We picked them when they started to fall but at that point most were still
hard so they were bletted on the windowsill and the ripe ones transfered
progressively to the fridge. They were peeled and simmered in a little
water until very soft which took about 45 minutes. The stew was strained
through a cloth and sugar added with a dash of lemon juice and boiled again.
The recipe said 10 parts liquid to 7 parts sugar. After only 15 minutes or
so the jelly was setting quickly when dropped into cold water so we bottled
it then, although the recipe said it would take much longer - perhaps it
does for quinces.

> There are old recipes for quince preserves
> that indicate you were supposed to cut it into slices to eat. Sounds
> like your medlar jelly.

I have since found that a jelly that thick is called a "cheese". You have
to cut it out of the jar and it spreads on a biscuit with some effort.
Great on its own or with dairy cheese, although rather sweet. We may try
less sugar say 10 to 5 next time. But the colour, oh the colour! How does
icky brown fruit make orange-red jelly? I don't know but I love it. I am
starting to dream of serving it with duck ....

David

David Hare-Scott wrote:
> "Nobody" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>There is a tree known as "loquat" that was widely planted in California
>
> for
>
>>decorative purposes over the past century or more. It is a kind of medlar,
>>and bears one of my favorite fruits. When I was growing up in southern
>>California it was widely used for jam and pies, although I only ate it
>
> raw.
>
>>It has a wonderful taste, sort of a cross between a peach and an orange.
>
> You
>
>>are very lucky to have a regular supply.
>>
>
>
> We are not talking about the same fruit. Medlars are about the size of a
> golf ball, with a brown skin a bit like a pear but thicker, the end opposite
> the stem has a strange rounded depression with a fringe around it, in some
> old books they were called the "open arse fruit". When underipe the flesh
> is cream and woody like a quince but when ripened (bletted) it goes brown
> and soft. The flavour is most like a spicy (some say cinnamon) overripe
> apple. Neither the flavour nor the texture are like peaches or oranges.
>
> Apparently the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is sometimes called the Japanese
> medlar and it is distantly related to the medlar (Mispilus germanica). I
> have tried to grow the loquat but so far withour success, it does not like
> frost.
>
> David
>
>
>
If anyone is going to try a loquat they need to get a named variety. I
grew one from seed here in SW Louisiana and it was a sorry producer.
Plus with one very large seed they are a pain to handle and to make jam
or jelly from. Also have a tough seed. Luckily Hurrican Rita killed mine
and I can replace it with something else.

George

George Shirley wrote:
> David Hare-Scott wrote:
>
>> "Nobody" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> There is a tree known as "loquat" that was widely planted in California
>>
>>
>> for
>>
>>> decorative purposes over the past century or more. It is a kind of
>>> medlar,
>>> and bears one of my favorite fruits. When I was growing up in southern
>>> California it was widely used for jam and pies, although I only ate it
>>
>>
>> raw.
>>
>>> It has a wonderful taste, sort of a cross between a peach and an orange.
>>
>>
>> You
>>
>>> are very lucky to have a regular supply.
>>>
>>
>>
>> We are not talking about the same fruit. Medlars are about the size of a
>> golf ball, with a brown skin a bit like a pear but thicker, the end
>> opposite
>> the stem has a strange rounded depression with a fringe around it, in
>> some
>> old books they were called the "open arse fruit". When underipe the
>> flesh
>> is cream and woody like a quince but when ripened (bletted) it goes brown
>> and soft. The flavour is most like a spicy (some say cinnamon) overripe
>> apple. Neither the flavour nor the texture are like peaches or oranges.
>>
>> Apparently the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is sometimes called the
>> Japanese
>> medlar and it is distantly related to the medlar (Mispilus germanica). I
>> have tried to grow the loquat but so far withour success, it does not
>> like
>> frost.
>>
>> David
>>
>>
>>
> If anyone is going to try a loquat they need to get a named variety. I
> grew one from seed here in SW Louisiana and it was a sorry producer.
> Plus with one very large seed they are a pain to handle and to make jam
> or jelly from. Also have a tough seed. Luckily Hurrican Rita killed mine
> and I can replace it with something else.
>
> George
>
The loquats with which I grew up, in Southern and Northern California,
have about 3 seeds which fit together. I have never seen a loquat with
one seed. Different kind?
Ellen

ellen wickberg wrote:
> George Shirley wrote:
>
>> David Hare-Scott wrote:
>>
>>> "Nobody" > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>
>>>> There is a tree known as "loquat" that was widely planted in California
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> for
>>>
>>>> decorative purposes over the past century or more. It is a kind of
>>>> medlar,
>>>> and bears one of my favorite fruits. When I was growing up in southern
>>>> California it was widely used for jam and pies, although I only ate it
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> raw.
>>>
>>>> It has a wonderful taste, sort of a cross between a peach and an
>>>> orange.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> You
>>>
>>>> are very lucky to have a regular supply.
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> We are not talking about the same fruit. Medlars are about the size
>>> of a
>>> golf ball, with a brown skin a bit like a pear but thicker, the end
>>> opposite
>>> the stem has a strange rounded depression with a fringe around it, in
>>> some
>>> old books they were called the "open arse fruit". When underipe
>>> the flesh
>>> is cream and woody like a quince but when ripened (bletted) it goes
>>> brown
>>> and soft. The flavour is most like a spicy (some say cinnamon) overripe
>>> apple. Neither the flavour nor the texture are like peaches or oranges.
>>>
>>> Apparently the loquat (Eriobotrya japonica) is sometimes called the
>>> Japanese
>>> medlar and it is distantly related to the medlar (Mispilus
>>> germanica). I
>>> have tried to grow the loquat but so far withour success, it does not
>>> like
>>> frost.
>>>
>>> David
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> If anyone is going to try a loquat they need to get a named variety. I
>> grew one from seed here in SW Louisiana and it was a sorry producer.
>> Plus with one very large seed they are a pain to handle and to make
>> jam or jelly from. Also have a tough seed. Luckily Hurrican Rita
>> killed mine and I can replace it with something else.
>>
>> George
>>
> The loquats with which I grew up, in Southern and Northern California,
> have about 3 seeds which fit together. I have never seen a loquat with
> one seed. Different kind?
> Ellen

Yeah, there evidently are several varieties. There is one down by the
city pavilion or bandstand that is about 25 feet tall and absolutely
covered with fruit most of the time. I harvest a bucket full every once
in awhile and it is the three seed variety whereas mine only ever had
one large seed. I like the taste of loquat jam but it is a pain to make.

George