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Post by Deleted on Nov 28, 2012 21:47:12 GMT -5
I am reading that factory pie filling is made of congealed apple juice, and the pieces, which you would think are supposed to be apples, are actually quince. Here's another interesting one, medlars (aka Mespilus canescens): www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgU1CY4-sjUThey are said to taste like apple butter, after bletting (softening with a freeze). Quinces and medlars were served before or after meats, as digestive aids, also in savory meals, such as stews. If noone around here has any, I'm seeing them on Amazon. |
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Post by steev on Nov 28, 2012 23:31:28 GMT -5
I have a medlar tree (I forget the variety at the moment), which has a good crop this year. I've not yet quite got the hang of using this fruit. Need seeds, scions? It's a very pretty little tree, even if I never find it useful; doubtless good for stealth gardening, though not terribly productive.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2012 13:41:59 GMT -5
I consider the medlar a historical plant and would really appreciate some seeds, if you have some, Steev. You have a private message. Thanks very much. Loquat looks comparable, is also from the Rosaceae family, and is known as Japanese Medlar. I wonder how compatible they might be.  Medlar, from Mary's Vegetable Garden Loquat. from itmonline.orgMy loquats are in bloom for the first time, as I have grown them from seed. I am reading that it is called a "standard," when you prune a shrubby plant to look like a tree, have made air layers of lower branches, ready to grow into the fence. If anyone is interested, I will share seeds and clones of loquats when they are ready. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2012 14:11:49 GMT -5
I'm reading that some kind of brandy is traditional, where they're grown. Different kinds of schnapps, comparable to ouzo, are apparently traded like aqua vitae. Well, there you go; humans are so inventive in the pursuit of getting loaded.  I felt this was clever for many reasons. It condenses far more fruit than you could ever eat, into a portable and long lasting format. Besides being a distillation of spirits, it is also a distillation of agricultural wealth. For consideration, only: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whiskey_Rebellion |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2012 14:16:38 GMT -5
I liked this Medieval sort of cooking for being primal and elegant at the same time. The seems like a fancy way to eat from the land. |
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Post by MikeH on Nov 29, 2012 17:00:46 GMT -5
I have a Marron medlar which I acquired in 2011. This year, it flowered  then fruited  but the fruit died in our drought. A friend has a Nottingham so I'm hoping to get some scion wood this spring. I'll have to park it on the Marron since my quince rootstock isn't ready yet. |
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Post by Deleted on Nov 29, 2012 19:47:44 GMT -5
We seem to have a steady supply of different fruits, month by month. I'm not letting the bowls around anything get fully dry, while it's still fruiting. Anything, which is not fruiting, gets barely enough water.
I had to water the loquats, four times, before the dust became moist!
But everything has been very productive, and things are staying damp, for longer, under the cover of clouds.
Drip irrigation barely needs to be turned on, to water a 1.5 x 100ft row of more tender, mulched plants -- a successful experiment in learning by doing.
Another hose, which is not really meant to drip, was put near struggling shrubs, so that not one drop went to waste.
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Post by steev on Nov 29, 2012 21:34:53 GMT -5
In my experience, loquats don't produce a lot, for the size of the tree, but they are tasty little devils, and pretty trouble-free.
The medlars are much more fruitful, but not something to eat out-of-hand. That's kind of a disadvantage for me, as I'm more likely to eat fruit in the orchard than in the kitchen; me and my pocketknife, high-grading the bird-raddled fruit, a bite here, half a fruit there; those feathery buggers know when it's ripe. I so need a pig! I'll eat pork in the kitchen, it doesn't have to be pecked over. I wonder whether pork finished on quince is distinctive; one day I'll know.
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Post by Deleted on Nov 30, 2012 15:47:10 GMT -5
Quinces make the best jelly ever (you must produce the juice first). They're so tough. What's your method for juicing? I tried thin slices, but they still jammed my juicer. I actually started thinking about quince, when I missed a drink, which was made from them, pears, apples, and white grape. In my experience, loquats don't produce a lot, for the size of the tree, but they are tasty little devils, and pretty trouble-free. Without deep watering or a wet year, they're like sour, orange skins on pits. Only if we're very thorough, they're meaty and plentiful. The medlars are much more fruitful, but not something to eat out-of-hand. That's kind of a disadvantage for me, as I'm more likely to eat fruit in the orchard than in the kitchen; me and my pocketknife, high-grading the bird-raddled fruit, a bite here, half a fruit there; those feathery buggers know when it's ripe. I'm leaning more toward Atkins or paleo dieting, with a minimum of processing. I am a good cook. I watch chefs on the food channel, say I already thought of that, but it's starting to show. If I ate more things out-of-hand (which tastes good to me, anyway) I would be wearing a smaller size of clothes. I so need a pig! I'll eat pork in the kitchen, it doesn't have to be pecked over. I wonder whether pork finished on quince is distinctive; one day I'll know. If I can get a small piece of rural land, I will grow small livestock. If I can get a nicer piece, I would like a game farm. In particular, I thought different kinds of cheeses and eggs were interesting. |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2012 10:40:01 GMT -5
Seeds seized again. I should post a quick comment in the exotics section, about importation.
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Post by MikeH on Dec 2, 2012 16:46:53 GMT -5
Seeds seized again. I should post a quick comment in the exotics section, about importation. Who are you ordering from? |
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Post by Deleted on Dec 2, 2012 18:08:19 GMT -5
"Hakan Alp," this time. On shopping.google, uses the word "Anatolian," alot.
I ordered Esme (apple) quince seeds and different colors of wine grape, supposedly grown in the Caucasus region.
I'm finding that people are generally agreeable, they are more thorough on the second try, and it eventually arrives.
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Post by mountaindweller on Dec 2, 2012 22:14:41 GMT -5
I think my mom took this vapour thingy (a big pot you put on the stove) she did this with plums and currants too. It is a lot of work. The apples were always taken to a cider press. There you could ask if they make you a small quantity of quince juice only if there are any cider presses around. I have put two quince trees in last year.
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Post by templeton on Dec 3, 2012 3:02:41 GMT -5
A couple of influential Australian cooks (Stephanie Alexander and Maggie Beer) got very enthusiastic about quinces, and reciped them a fair bit.
Baked in a very slow oven with a bit of sugar and butter is very nice. Quince paste is OK, but not really worth the effort IMO.
Loquats have a number of good cultivars esp in Asia. Seedlings are often big on seed but short on flesh, and they don't transport well, but I reckon they are yummy.
Medlars also seem to be cultivar dependant - mine gives flavoursome, but grainy fruit, about 1.5 cm diameter - my near neighbours get them twice that size - I've been thinking of some grafting...
And mine is grafted onto Hawthorn.
The fruit has a fairly large seed - I could collect some in late SH autumn if anyone was interested, but they aren't a mainstay crop in my opinion.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 3, 2012 21:49:26 GMT -5
Quinces make the best jelly ever (you must produce the juice first). They're so tough. What's your method for juicing? I tried thin slices, but they still jammed my juicer. I think my mom took this vapour thingy (a big pot you put on the stove) Pressure cooker?  |
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