For the uninitiated, bletting is a process of after-ripening usually
applied to medlar fruits. In their fresh picked state, medlars are
hard, acid, and astringent. When bletted, the flesh becomes soft, dark
brown, and loses the acid and astringency, making the fruit quite nice
to eat. Bletting also works with Sorbus domestica, as has been
mentioned here in other threads.
I bring it up because I have been collecting species pears for seed.
Things like P. betulafolia and P. calleryana. They are hardly larger
than a pea, and are quite acid and astringent when picked, But I find
that, like medlars, they lose most of their acid and astringency and
become soft and pleasant when bletted. P. betulafolia keeps some acid,
while losing all astringency, to become spicy and surprisingly
pleasant.
Perhaps it might be worth some exploring to try bletting other pome
fruits that are ordinarily inedible to see if there aren't more types
that blet well. We may be overlooking a lot of fruits that are not
only edible but have exotic flavors only when bletted. Various
hawthorn and species pear fruits would be my first thought. Any other
possibles any of you might have tried?
-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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