Cookbook:Medlar
| Medlar | |
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| Category | Fruits |
Cookbook | Recipes | Ingredients | Equipment | Techniques | Cookbook Disambiguation Pages | Ingredients | Fruit
Medlars are fruiting plants in the rose/apple family.[1][2][3]
Characteristics
[edit | edit source]Growing on the tree, medlar fruits look like a cross between rosehips and apples,[1][4] open at the bottom (calyx) end.[1] When mature but underripe on the tree, the texture is still firm, but the flesh is greenish or yellow-tinged and inedibly astringent.[1][2][3][4][5] While they can (and often benefit from) be picked from the tree at this stage, before they can be eaten, medlars must go through the process of "bletting".[3][5][6] This is essentially an advanced ripening process, during which enzymatic activity softens the texture, browns the color, and sweetens the flavor.[2][5][7] Once this process is complete, the medlar has a similar texture to that of applesauce or a baked apple, with notes of caramel and dried fruit.[3][5][7] While some may refer to bletting as rottening, perhaps due to the resemblance to other truly rotten fruit, medlars should not actually spoil during this process.[8] If left on the tree, the fruits will eventually blet on their own through a few frosts,[2][3] but they may be damaged or eaten by other animals this way.
Seasonality
[edit | edit source]Medlars are late fall to early winter fruit.[7]
Selection and storage
[edit | edit source]If you live in an area where medlars grow, try looking for them in farmer's markets in the late fall. Fruit should be undamaged. If harvesting medlars yourself, pick them when they are firm but still mature enough to blet after harvest.[8][9] The bottom (calyx) should be darker, and the leafy portions (sepals) around the calyx should be browning and drying.[9] The stem end should not be green, and the fruit should separate easily from the stem.[9] Once fully bletted, medlars have a short shelf life before they spoil, so they should be used quickly, placed in the fridge for a few days, or frozen for longer storage.[9]
Preparation
[edit | edit source]If purchasing or harvesting underripe medlars, you will need to let them blet yourself. Examine them to make sure the skin is undamaged, then arrange them calyx-down in a single layer on a cloth-lined tray, rack, or basket.[9] Store them in a dark, cool area with good ventilation to prevent molding,[8] and allow them to blet. The process typically takes 2–3 weeks,[8] starting from the inside and progressing outwards.[9] Once fully bletted, the skin should be slightly wrinkled and thin, and the flesh should be fully softened and browned all the way through.[5][8][9] The flavor should be sweet.[8] Discard if the flesh is black inside[5] or shows signs of rotting/spoilage. If desired, you can try a short (up to overnight) period in the freezer before laying the fruits out to blet—this is said to mimic the first frosts of the fall-winter season.[9]
Once you get your hands on bletted medlars, they can be squeezed or cut open to remove the flesh (and seeds).[6]
Use
[edit | edit source]Once bletted, medlar flesh can be eaten raw or cooked into other products. Examples of raw consumption include mixing with cream or spooning out-of-hand.[3][4][5] As for cooked applications, preserves, pies/tarts, and fruit "cheese" pastes can all be made with the medlar flesh.[3][4][5][8] They can also be fermented into wine.[3]
Recipes
[edit | edit source]References
[edit | edit source]- ↑ a b c d Davidson, Alan (2014-01-01). Jaine, Tom (ed.). The Oxford Companion to Food. Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/acref/9780199677337.001.0001. ISBN 978-0-19-967733-7.
- ↑ a b c d McGee, Harold (2007-03-20). On Food and Cooking: The Science and Lore of the Kitchen. Simon and Schuster. ISBN 978-1-4165-5637-4.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Kipfer, Barbara Ann (2012-04-11). The Culinarian: A Kitchen Desk Reference. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. ISBN 978-0-544-18603-3.
- ↑ a b c d "Medlars recipes". BBC Food. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h Lambert, Rachel (2021-11-30). "How to use Medlars". Wild Walks Southwest. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ↑ a b "Medlar Tart". British Food: A History. 2018-11-19. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ↑ a b c "The forgotten medieval fruit with a vulgar name". www.bbc.com. 2021-03-25. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ↑ a b c d e f g "One moment, please..." www.gardenninja.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ↑ a b c d e f g h theurbannanna (2021-05-11). "Meet the Medlar". The Urban Nanna. Retrieved 2025-04-01.