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nafex - Re: [NAFEX] Medlars

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  • From: "Lon J. Rombough" <lonrom@hevanet.com>
  • To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Medlars
  • Date: Sun, 4 Nov 2007 21:35:55 -0800

If you had some sort of name or identification for the medlars, they might be in the National Clonal Germplasm Repository collection at Corvallis, OR. Last I knew, they had collected about every known medlar in the world. I've tried a number of them, though I have to say that the old "Nottingham" still seems to be the one I prefer.
I have some quinces that could qualify as ones your Greek acquaintance spoke about. They have very tender flesh, and in a couple of extra-long summers they have ripened to the point where they were about like eating a somewhat tart apple.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, The Grape Grower, at http://www.bunchgrapes.com Winner of the Garden Writers Association "Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
For even more grape lessons, go to http://www.grapeschool.com
For all other things grape, http://www.vitisearch.com

On Nov 4, 2007, at 9:24 PM, Douglas Woodard wrote:

About 25 years ago an immigrant from Greece ( a barber in Kingston,
Ontario) told me that in Greece there were medlars and quinces that
ripened enough for fresh eating, due to the long growing season.

About 28 years ago when I was living in eastern Ontario I got some
fruits of ornamental medlars for seed from the late Dr. Fleming of the
Vineland station in the Niagara peninsula (he told me that the seedling
line came originally form the Royal Horticultural Society in Britain). I
put them in the freezer compartment of a rather weak old refrigerator I
had where they were maintained just above freezing. Along about February
I checked them and some (not all) were delicious with a spicy
super-apple-sauce like flavour and texture. I deduce that lower
temperature bletting is good, at least for some strains of medlar.

Unfortunately I was never able to plant the seed.

Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario


Lon J. Rombough wrote:
Had a surprise today. I went to check my medlars and found that a fair
number had already bletted on one of the tree medlar trees I have. They
are all the same variety, "Nottingham". That was the first time that has
happened here. Usually the fruits drop before they blet. Another aspect
of the different weather, apparently. There weren't any marks or
indications of injury that might have sped up the process, either. The
flavor seemed more intense than the usual ones, bletted off the tree. If
there was a way to breed for "tree ripened" medlars, it could be useful.
No storing or bletting needed, just process the picked fruit into pulp
immediately.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, my book, *The Grape Grower, *at
http://www.bunchgrapes.com Winner of the Garden Writers Association
"Best Talent in Writing" award for 2003.
For even more grape lessons, go to http://www.grapeschool.com
For all other things grape, http://www.vitisearch.com

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