Medlars

[walicei]

My neighbour has a medlar tree and I believe the fruit has to be rotten before using. Does anyone have any idea how to do this without making a complete mess? I had thought of leaving them on a tray in the garage until very soft.
If anyone has used medlars before I would love to know how to cook them. I have one recipe for medlar cheese
Thanks

[Millymollymandy]

It's really simple, you leave them on the tree until they have been bletted which basically is done for you by mother nature in the form of frosts. It may take several frosts for it to happen. They aren't rotten when they are bletted, just soft, ripe and ready to use!

Have you ever tried one? I have a tree but think they are horrible!

[healer]

I must come in to support the humble medlar

We love them! So does the horse (but she's died - so we now get the whole crop!) We pick the before they are bletted so that the birds don't get them and then rippen them in a fruit box near the wood burner.

After they are bletted we make a cheese with cinamon and nutmeg and dry it out, coat in sugar or freeze to get them through to Christmas.
They are very high in vit C. You can eat them raw but they considered a delicacy cooked up with spices and sugar. You have to have a strong metal sieve though!

Have a try - its worth it!

[Millymollymandy]

Someone described them to me as an old fashioned apple. What do they taste like MMM apart from horrible that is. Just curious

Hmmmm I'm thinking - they are sort of appley I suppose, but more of a slightly gone off, sourish taste. I only tried them the first year we moved here as I was inquisitive then decided to give them a miss! When they are bletted the insides are brown and mushy and they have a number of large pips/stones, so they aren't great for eating straight off the tree, unless you like pip spitting competitions!

Horrible was a bit mean on the poor old medlar in hindsight. Not worth it is more how I feel about them I suppose!

[Silver Ether]

I must come in to support the humble medlar

We love them! So does the horse (but she's died - so we now get the whole crop!) We pick the before they are bletted so that the birds don't get them and then rippen them in a fruit box near the wood burner.

After they are bletted we make a cheese with cinamon and nutmeg and dry it out, coat in sugar or freeze to get them through to Christmas.
They are very high in vit C. You can eat them raw but they considered a delicacy cooked up with spices and sugar. You have to have a strong metal sieve though!

Have a try - its worth it!

I agree much underated...hers my twopenny worth; I bless them in a box of straw, if tou leave them on the tree the wasps and other creepies get into them.

Medlar is a fruit related to quinces and apples, and part of the rose family. Medlar trees grow very slowly. The wood of the tree is light red and very hard with a very fine grain; it was often used for canes and walking sticks.
The trees bloom a month later than apple trees, producing pinky-white flowers. The fruit is small and round. It starts off with greenish-yellow skin ripening to rust coloured. There is an indent at the top of the fruit, and several seeds inside.
Varieties include: Dutch, Macrocarpa, Nottingham and Royal. Nottingham fruits are about 1 inch (2.5 cm) wide. The Dutch and Macrocarpa have somewhat larger fruit.

Medlar has fallen out of fashion. Neglected, it now grows wild or in abandoned orchards. Many of these trees are very, very old. Some are thought to be even centuries old.
They very high in pectin. Good jellies and jams can be made from it.

Storage
Store in a dry place.

History
Medlar was probably native to the eastern Mediterranean. Was grown in Greece by 700 BC; came to Rome about 200 BC. The Romans cultivated them. Medlars are shown in the mosaics at Pompeii. Medlars were also very popular in the Middle Ages.
I have made both of the following recipes and I love them as do others.


Medlar Jelly
Ingredients:
1lb Medlars – …Bletted
1/4 pint water
sugar
juice 1/2 lemon
Method.
• Chop the fruit, don't worry about peeling, just throw everything in to the pan, add the water and simmer until soft.
• Strain through a jelly bag, in to a measuring jug
• Add the sugar, allowing 1lb sugar to 1pint juice
• Stir in sugar and lemon juice
• Boil rapidly until set - to test drop a teaspoon of the mixture on to a saucer, allow to cool and then drag your finger over the surface, if a skin has formed the jelly is ready
• Delicious as a Jelly with Meat or Game

Medler Tart.

1 pound meddlers. ( chuck em all in … that’s what I was told)
Large teaspoon each of Cinnamon and Ground Ginger.
4 oz caster sugar.
2 egg yolks.

Partly cooked pastry tart case.

Method


Gently cook the Medlers until soft strain through a sieve before adding other ingredients.
Place meddlers and other ingredients in a double pan of hot water and bring gently to the boil, stirring all the time. When thick and gloopy pour into pastry case, lattice with pastry strips and pop into the oven for 30ish minutes. Gas mark 6. Let it cool so it sets properly. Serve with ice cream.

[image]

The tart ... :D

[Millymollymandy]

SE do you actually 'bless' them or do you mean blet?

BTW they are also known as 'cul de chien' which translates as dog's arse.

[Silver Ether]

SE do you actually 'bless' them or do you mean blet?

BTW they are also known as 'cul de chien' which translates as dog's arse.

Well I personally bless them, then blet them My man says they are like a cat's arse; even showed the kitty one...

[Thomzo]

I love medlar, cooked. Every year I try to make medlar jelly and end up with medlar syrup. But it's lovely and I use it as a honey substitute (as I'm not very keen on honey).

I've only tried the flesh a couple of times. It looks a bit manky once bletted so it puts me off a bit. I would describe it as like the mixture for a rich fruit cake before you cook it. It's quite gritty and has a very fruity, sweet flavour.

I also have one quince ripening on my new (4 year old) tree. Last time I had one I made a sort of christmas mince meat with medlar, quince, apple and dried fruit. Don't ask me for a recipe as I make it up as I go along.

Enjoy
Zoe