Today we want to talk about a fruit a bit unknown nowadays, yet highly appreciated in the past centuries: the Germanic or common medlar.
The common medlar belongs to the Rosaceae family, the same that includes apples and pears, and just as these two it is related to the autumn. It has a unique and special taste, and like everything unique, not everyone loves it. The strangest characteristic of this plant is that the fruit can not be eaten freshly picked, but it should be left to rest a few weeks in the cellar, so that they blet and are really ready.
In ancient times, in the Middle Ages and during the Renaissance, the medlar was widely used, popular and appreciated, but with time it fell into disuse. This will be our first post of a series aiming to present medlars in different recipes, hoping to arouse curiosity about this ancient fruit.
To introduce this first recipe, the jam medlar, we decided to use a tableware that was worth the particularity of the fruit, so we used a 1908 Bavarian tableware by Schwarzenhammer, from the private collection of Dr. Ezio Gerbore.
If you try one of the recipes on the blog, take a photo and publish it on Instragam with the hashtag #fratelliaifornelli and tagging our profile @fratelliaifornelli.
Medlar jam
Ingredients
- medlar well bletted
- sugar
- vanilla
- salt
Instructions
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To begin preparing the jam, it is necessary first of all that the fruits are fully bletted and soft. Put them into a whole saucepan and add about 750 ml of cold water, without depriving neither seed nor peel. Then, using a potato masher or a meat mallet, smash the fruits, mixing them well with water.
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Simmer about 20 minutes, so that the pulp comes off completely from the seeds and peel. This step is important, and will avoid having to strip the flesh off one by one by hand.
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Once this has been done, pour the puree into a large colander, under which you ha previously placed a container to collect the pulp. And now, you just have to mix thoroughly a few minutes and all the pulp will separete! 🙂 Not bad, to save time and effort!
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Weigh the pulp you got, put it back on the heat and add half the weight in sugar. Also add a pinch of salt and the seeds of a vanilla bean, that will serve to sweet the scent.
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Cook for half an hour and pour in potts.
6 Comments on “Medlar jam”
I have a treeful of fruit most of which is bleating. Do you recommend batches or is bulk better
Dorothy
Can I also mix medler with apple or pears
You don’t say how much fruit!
About 2 KG, same as for medlar cheese.
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