That's an old description of the edible Sorb, Sorbus domestica. The best
way to eat them is to "blet" them like medlars. Many, if not most, are
extremely astringent when unbletted. I have some and the first time I
tasted one, it seemed like a mild, crunchy, juicy pear, until the
astringency hit. The darn things make green persimmons taste MELLOW by
comparison.
-Lon Rombough
Grapes, writing, consulting, more, plus word on my grape book at http://www.bunchgrapes.com
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>From: "Doreen Howard" <doreenh@ticon.net>
>To: <nafex@yahoogroups.com>
>Subject: [nafex] Mystery Fruit
>Date: Fri, Feb 22, 2002, 8:45 AM
>
>I have an old, old book, given to me by Sam & Ginger Powers, copyright 1854.
>Fruit, Flower and Kitchen Garden was written by Patrick Neill and
>published by Adam and Charles Black in Edinburgh, Scotland. Neill was the
>secretary to the Caledonian Horticultural Society. In this fascinating
>book, he talks about kitchen garden fruits, including the usual peach, plum,
>pear and apple. He also talks about quince, medlar, mulberry and something
>called The Service-Tree. The following is how it is described:
>
>The Service-Tree (Pyrus domestica) is a native of the mountainous parts of
>Cornwall, and though not much cultivated, may be here noticed .fruit has
>a peculiar acid flavour and is only used when thoroughly mellowed by
>keeping. There is a pear-shaped and an apple-shaped variety, both of which
>may be propagated by layers, and still better by grafting on seedling plants
>of their own kind The tree is seldom productive till it has arrived at a
>goodly age. The fruit is brought to Covent Garden Market in winter .Near
>Paris, the tree is a good deal cultivated under the name of cornier. A
>number of varieties of the Service are grown in the north of Italy.
>
>Does anyone have a clue as to what this fruit is?
>Doreen Howard
>Zone 4b--Wisconsin
>
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