To: North American Fruit Explorers <nafex@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: [NAFEX] Medlars, was Re: what's compatible with pear?
Date: Sat, 13 Jan 2007 01:46:13 -0500 (EST)
Medlars when properly bletted are *delicious*. The flesh goes soft and
brown, turning to something like a spicy super-applesauce.
The classical method is to put them in trays on straw, not touching if I
recall rightly, in an unheated (English) building. I only did it once, by
accident. I had put some seedling medlars in the freezer compartment of a
very feeble refrigerator, hoping to plant the seeds (never did get around
to that). A few months later (February? it was 28 or 29 years ago) they
were exquisite. If the fruit of seedling trees (planted as ornamentals
at Vineland station) were that good, the fruit of selected cultivars
might be something pretty special.
I surmise that keeping them just above freezing might be best. It might be
good to experiment with different cool temperatures.
I have not read anything about when they should be picked. Again, I would
be inclined to try several picking dates and try a batch picked as late as
possible. My guess is that that might have been the method of medieval
and Renaissance times when medlars were popular.
I have a notion that they were a treat for the rural well-to-do
(including maybe senior monks and nuns) involving
a fair amount of labour and storage space to get just right.
A Greek immigrant barber I talked to about 25 years ago (in his forties
at the time I think) told me that they were grown in Greece when he
was young. I'm not sure, but I think he may have said that they were
picked late and were soon ready to eat there. I may be congfusing what he
told me about medlars with what he told me about quinces though.
Doug Woodard
St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada
On Fri, 12 Jan 2007, Donna &/or Kieran wrote:
Hmmm... I'd just as soon skip the medlars, though it's true they
seem to do fine here. I've just never figured out what they are
good for.