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Re: Medlar

Hi David:
Very interesting story. How cold hardy is medlar? Do you happen to know it's
french name?
Thank you,

Colette Tremblay
Canada
zone 4b


David Poole a écrit:
> 
> On Tue, 9 Jun 1998  Nick wrote:
> 
> >> Does someone know what kind of fruit is "medlar"?
> >> Thanks in advance,
> 
> >It's Mespilus germanica, a tree in the rose family, the fruit of which is
> >eaten when overripe and starting to decay (i.e. a bit like the wild
> >persimmon in the U.S., Diospyros virginiana). I've seen medlars growing
> >once, in an old, abandoned orchard in the Sierra Nevada mountains of S.
> >Spain.
> 
> To add to this, it is an 'ancient' fruit probably introduced into much
> of Europe by the Romans and is thought to have originated in the
> Middle East well before pre-Christian times.  It was known by the
> Greeks in 200BC.  Almost certainly, it was introduced here into
> England, during Roman times and was still a well established and
> popular, winter fruit over a thousand years later.  Whilst most
> closely related to Pyrus species, the medlar also shows considerable
> affinities with both Sorbus and Crataegus.  It was a great favourite
> at the diner table in medieval England and was widely cultivated at
> that time.
> 
> The fruits are rounded or top shaped, brown, hard and indigestible
> until they have been frosted and then allowed to soften through
> partial decay.  Sounds revolting I know, but the English found a way
> around this by describing the process as 'Bletting'.    The name
> Medlar is derived from 'Meddler' - referring to the belief that it was
> one of old Saturn's fruits, supposed to prolong a woman's desire.   At
> one time, more genteel of folk referred to the medlar as 'Saturn's
> Fruit', whilst those of more lowly origin called it 'Bare-Arses', such
> was the similarity of the shape to that part of the human anatomy!
> Since medieval folk were much pre-occupied with the 'comeliness' of
> the rear of a well rounded woman, we can easily see how due to its
> shape, the fruit was associated with Saturnalian pleasures of the day.
> 
> I've eaten medlars in the past and although the flavour is rather
> agreeable, the somewhat 'mushy' texture combined with a degree of
> grittiness, takes some getting used to!  It makes a wonderful, orange
> coloured jelly which is very acceptable with game and is in my
> opinion, far superior to Quince Jelly, being less astringent and not
> quite so overpoweringly perfumed.
> 
> As a garden plant, the medlar has much to recommend it.  A tough, slow
> growing small tree with a few sharp spines and rather attractive,
> fairly large, solitary white, tinged pink flowers borne in June.
> These are quickly self pollinating and fruit is almost inevitable
> following flowering.  Medlars produce quite acceptable autumn colour
> with the rather broad leaves taking on hues of russets, orange, yellow
> and brown before falling.  It will grow in a wide range of soils and
> once established, can withstand a fair amount of heat and drought.  It
> has long been established as a 'wild plant' in the hedgerows of
> southern England and is no doubt, an escape from the early Roman
> gardens.
> 
> David Poole
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