The Dogmother Posted November 11, 2007 Share Posted November 11, 2007 OK, who knows anything about them and what to do? I have access to a treeload of medlars, and all I know is that they either have to be 'bletted' to mature, or left on the tree until nearly squishy I want to try making jelly out of them if possible. I'll google tomorrow, but would prefer some first hand advice if you've used them before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Never heard of them before Clare Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 I haven't come up with any more than I've already told you - I hope you'll have some spare? I know I've got something in a book somewhere - problem is, i can't remember which book Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 Found this on t'interweb. Medlars are picked after the first frost, when the leaves have fallen, and the fruit is soft, brown and rotten looking. The fruit can also be picked at leaf fall and ripened indoors in cooler climates. Medlar fruit isn't for everyone. (The tree on the other hand is attractive enough to grow even if you leave the fruit for the birds). Medlar Jelly (This is truly wonderful stuff!) fruit sugar water lemon juice Cover fruit with water, simmer till soft. Strain off juice. For every two cups of juice, add two cups sugar and juice of a lemon. Boil till a little sets on a plate- by this stage it will be volcanic and shooting up small geysers, so stir so it doesn't stick. Doesn't say what happens next. I suppose you bottle it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 12, 2007 Share Posted November 12, 2007 You'll certainly be able to pick them after last nights frost then Clare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 12, 2007 Author Share Posted November 12, 2007 I just did a bit of a search and came up with the same info Egluntine - thanks for that. I went through the park this morning on the way to school and they're mostly squishy and ready to pick; I'll go down there at the weekend with a trug and pick as many as I can reach. The tree is very pretty in it's own tight - small, nice shape (just like me ), with pretty blossom and long, oval leaves. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 18, 2007 Author Share Posted November 18, 2007 Rosie and I picked the medlars from the tree in the park yesterday - we got a bucketful. Medlars are a traditional fruit used a lot in the middle ages to made Medlar Cheese or Medlar Jelly, to eat with meats and cheese.They need to be picked when very soft and almost mushy, which is very messy, or picked harder and frozen so that they are soft before you use them. The original way to 'age' them was 'bletting', which involved picking them while they are still hard and then stacking them in boxes filled with straw...all very well if you have the room to stack them! In the absence of any advice on how to prepare them for jelly making, I decided to split the skins and squeeze the pulp out; it looks like that chocolate custard baby food, but is really sticky and doesn't taste of anything at all, just slightly sweet - first disappointment Medlars have pits like olives - I didn't bother taking them out, they just went in the pan as well - it was all too messy by then. I added enough water to cover the pulp and boiled it all up. By this time it looked really uninspiring - just a load of pooey looking mush and I was beginning to lose interest. I sieved the pulp to remove most of the bits and was left with a lighter sort of puree, which I hung in a jelly bag to strain. Unlike most fruit, it was very slow to drip so I left it over night. The resulting liquid was clear and syrupy looking but didn't taste of anything in particular. I boiled it up with 1lb of sugar per pint of the liquid and the juice of half a lemon to provide a jelling agent. I ended up with one large jar and one small jar of very pale greeny yellow jelly. I haven't tasted it yet but suspect it doesn't have much flavour. Oh well, it was an interesting exercise, if only to satisfy my curiousity. I shan't bother again next year though - you need too many medlars to produce a decent amount of jelly! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 I do hope it tastes of something after all that work I must admit that the quince don't smell or taste of anything once you start cooking them - but the jelly was divine! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 I'll have to try some today and will let you know what (if anything) it tastes of. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Milly Posted November 19, 2007 Share Posted November 19, 2007 I only just saw this (a bit late as you have already used the medlars!) - I made medlar jelly last year and still have some left so haven't made any this year. It gets round the problem of all the bits and pips and so on. I didn't wait until they were bletted. I have waited in previous years and then decided I didn't like the look of them and just left them to drop off the tree. The jelly is slightly astringent, even with sugar in, and a nice red/gold colour. I read in a book (can't remember which, now) that bletted medlars are an acquired taste. And that most people don't acquire it! But the tree is very attractive. Milly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted November 19, 2007 Author Share Posted November 19, 2007 I've always like the tree Milly - it looks lovely at any time of the year. I didn't think much of the taste of the 'mush', the jelly looks completely different but I haven't tried it yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 Just a conclusion to this thread.. I've tried the jelly at last! Just had a lovely lunch.. I had a Gloucester old spot pork chop from Lesley and Carl's farm, new and sweet potatoes, french beans and Medlar jelly. The chop was lovely and tasty, plenty of flavour. The Medlar jelly was good too; the first time I had tasted it since I made it, it has a delicate, fragrant taste like sweet, weak tea. Next time (if I can be bothered again ) I might add the tiniest bit of ginger to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I bought some from the Farmers Market last Saturday and it is georgeous! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 Ahhh, so you got some in the end Martin. I like it - it has a lovely delicate flavour and would be good with white or cold meat. I might try adding another delicate flavour if I make it again. Perhaps lavender or rosemary or rose petals - not much, just enough to give it a twist. What did you eat yours with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 It says game or cold meat on the jar. Cheese too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 Ooo, I hadn't thought of it with cheese - I like fruit and cheese so that's a logical progression. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lesley Posted December 5, 2007 Share Posted December 5, 2007 I eat my quince jelly with cheese from the market - divine I'm glad the medlar jelly tasted of something Clare! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Dogmother Posted December 5, 2007 Author Share Posted December 5, 2007 I'm just glad that it didn't look like to 'baby poo' that it looked like in its raw state.. it didn't taste too nice either Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...