Medlar Recipes
In the book, Food in Motion: The Migration of Foodstuffs
and Cookery Techniques, an entire chapter on Medlars and their introduction
to the Netherlands provides us with recipes and history.
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200g firm medlars
1.2 litres water
2 lemons
sugar
Ingredients Quantity
Medlar (very
ripe) Desired quantity
Water Desired
quantity
Sugar 800
gr / kg of fruit puree
Chocolate
(50% cocoa) Desired quantity
Agar-agar (4gr / liter)
Lemon juice Few
drops
Preparation:
Prepare the fruits: wash the medlars, then deposit them
whole in a pan, add 1/3 of the volume in water. Cook +/- 20 minutes. When
discarding, pour them into a fine strainer and press firmly with a spatula to
extract the pulp. If necessary, add a little water to facilitate the operation.
Weigh the collected pulp, pour into a saucepan, add the sugar, a few drops of
lemon juice and the agar-agar.
Preparation of the
dough: mix well and cook over low heat without stirring until the dough
comes off the bottom.
Make the shapes:
line the bottom of a baking dish with parchment paper, pour the mixture on top,
level the surface with a spatula. Let cool. Cut the fruit paste into a square.
Finishing: melt
chocolate. Dip the fruit pasta in it.
Recommendation:
add a lot of pectin or agar-agar to the preparation to make the fruit paste
"take". Place these pasta on a génnoise and place a few moments in
the freezer to serve frozen. Decorate with cocoa powder and/or some roasted
dried fruit.
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Medlar Jelly
From the UK Royal Horticulture Society
Summary: A bronze-coloured preserve for eating with cold
roast meat. If you have no firm medlars, only ‘bletted’ ones, then you can
still make a perfectly good jelly.
Ingredients: Makes a
medium-sized jar
800g bletted medlars (see below)
Details:
Make sure the medlars are well bletted and remove any
leaves. Cut each fruit in half and drop into a heavy-based saucepan. Pour over
the water. Cut the lemon into six pieces and add it to the fruit. Bring to the
boil then turn the temperature down so that the liquid simmers gently,
Partially cover with a lid and leave to cook for an hour, taking care that the
liquid doesn’t evaporate, and giving the fruit an occasional squash with a
wooden spoon. Avoid the temptation to stir or mash the fruit which will send
the finished jelly cloudy.
Pour the fruit and its liquid into a jelly bag suspended
over a large jug or bowl. (I hang mine from the taps over the sink) Let the
juice drip into the jug, giving it the occasional squeeze till all the juice
has dribbled through.
Put the juice back into a clean saucepan and boil for four
minutes, then add an equal amount of sugar (this is likely to be about 500g or
2 cups). When the sugar has dissolved pour into clean, warm jars and seal. I
use Kilner jars with rubber seals. Leave to cool.
To blet medlars:
Medlars appear in farm shops and occasionally farmer’s
markets and specialist food shops in late autumn. They are usually bought rock
hard and have to be softened.
Pull off any leaves and place the whole fruits on a shallow
plate. Don’t pile them up.
Leave them at cool room temperature till they turn deep
brown and are soft, almost squashy, to the touch. They are then ready to cook.
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Medlar Curd, Wine, and Jelly
By Maddy Harland, Permaculture Magazine
Store them in sawdust or bran in a cool, dark place until
they go soft and develop an aromatic flavour. You can eat medlars raw once
bletted – they taste similar to an overripe apple – a rather acquired taste.
You can also mix the pulp with honey and cream or eat plain, accompanied by
port.
Medlar Curd &
Medlar Wine
Traditionally, medlars are also turned into a 'curd' style
of fruit cheese, where the strained pulp is cooked like lemon curd with eggs,
butter and sugar. They can also be used for making a country wine that tastes
rather like sherry. Simply add the bletted fruit to sugar and water plus a wine
yeast and leave to ferment. I added pears as well, racked the brew and bottled
it for two years. It was medium sweet with a very alcoholic taste and effect. I
didn't test the specific gravity but it was like a very respectable sherry.
Medlar Jelly
Perhaps the most popular recipe is medlar jelly. This one
was kindly given to me by Pippa Wynn from Somerset.
Ingredients:
2kg (4lbs)
medlars
2.5 litres
(4 pints) water
Sugar
Lemon juice
Method:
After the fruit has been left to go soft, wash it and place
in a preserving pan with the water; simmer slowly until fruit is soft and
mushy. Pour into a scalded jelly bag and allow the fruit to drip for a few
hours. Do not push the fruit through or the finished jelly will be cloudy.
Measure the strained juice into a preserving pan and add 1 tablespoon of lemon
juice to each 600ml (1 pint) of juice. Bring to the boil. To each 600ml (1
pint) of juice add 350g (12oz) sugar. Stir until dissolved. Return to the heat,
bring to the boil and boil rapidly until setting point is reached. Remove any
scum. Pour quickly into warmed jars, cover and label.
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