Medling in the kitchen

[Cath B]

Too wet for gardening today so rather than sulk in front of my laptop I decided to do some cooking. The crop of medlars which I'd been bletting for the past three or four weeks being rather on the small side for jelly I raked google for some ideas and after a little detective work unearthed a recipe for medlar curd (http://www.ecomii.com/food/recipes/medlar-cheese).

They call it medlar cheese but whatever its name I find it absolutely delicious such that rain notwithstanding my day is now bright.

I'm now hoping for a bigger crop next year with a plan to make a curd with the egg yolks only leaving the whites for a topping for medlar meringue pie.

Mmmm....

[Daynna]

I had to google "medlar" and "bletting." :)

[Daynna]

now I want to plant one! Wonder if it will grow in Pennsylvania, US?

[Berthold]

Considering that one species is called germanica (and just look at its range; in southeastern Europe it can get quite cold), I'd say you have quite a chance. :)

[David B]

now I want to plant one! Wonder if it will grow in Pennsylvania, US?

They might be hard to find in the USA, but http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2006/03/11/HOG5JHJFSQ1.DTL

Availability: The USDA repository in Corvallis may have limited amounts of medlar scion wood available at no cost during the summer or next winter. Requests can be made by writing to jpostman@ars-grin.gov or by calling (541) 738-4200.


I'm quite envious of Cath, I've been wanting to try it.

David

[Daynna]

Yeah, I was discovering that trying to find them through google.

[Matty]

for the ignorant and lazy brit here, what are medlars and how do you blet them?

tia?

[Daynna]

From what I gather, it is some sort of fruit that is only edible after it is rotten. Then it is delicious. The rotting process is "bletting" i think.

[Roo St. Gallus]

Click the link in David B's post.


Say, Daynna? Maybe you can prevail upon lpetrich to obtain some for you. He's a short twenty minute drive from the repository in Corvallis. Me? I'm over an hour and a half north.

[Matty]

doh, thanks.

[Berthold]

From what I gather, it is some sort of fruit that is only edible after it is rotten. Then it is delicious. The rotting process is "bletting" i think.
It's one of the historic cultivars that were popular in past centuries, but declined for some reason. Our grandmothers' cookbooks knew them, now it's a culture heritage hobby.

[Daynna]

I want :)