Very few people know them and would know what to do with them. You would walk straight past the mature specimens at harvest time in late fall. Everything you should know about the fruits of the loquat…
What does this fruit look like?
Medlars used to be much better known than they are today. They are extraordinarily different from most of the fruits known in this country. They are also known as stone apples because they are extremely hard and inedible before frost.
They are vaguely reminiscent of quinces or pears, but are usually much smaller. While the original medlar grows between 2 and 4 cm, cultivars grow up to 7 cm. They are spherical and flattened, brown in color when ripe and have a felt-like shell. A distinctive feature are the sepals of the flowers, which are still preserved on the fruit.
When are they ripe?
Medlars can be harvested after the first autumn frosts. The ideal harvest time is between the beginning of November and the beginning of December. If they grow in areas without frost, they can ripen after harvesting, for example in fruit boxes on straw.
The frost or post-ripening causes the fruit to soften and the tannins it contains to evaporate. Before that, they are not very tasty and, due to the high amount of tannins, are astringent, which is noticeable in the mouth as an unpleasant tightening feeling.
At maturity, the medlars are:
- doughy-soft
- mushy
- sweet and sour, tart and nutty in taste
What can they be used for?
Ripe fruits can be used to propagate the plant. To do this, the seeds contained in the dough-like pulp are freed and cleaned. They can be planted in spring. However, this propagation method is considered to be extremely tedious…
The medlars are not poisonous and can therefore be eaten raw or cooked. They can be picked and eaten raw directly from the bush or tree. They are suitable for processing into jam, mush, puree, compote, juice and wine. They can be combined well with broad autumn fruit such as apples, rose hips and sloes.
In addition to their good taste, the medlars convince with their health value. They contain lots of vitamins, minerals and trace elements and are a valuable fruit in the fall season when you have a cold. Taken internally, they promote digestion, have an anti-inflammatory effect and slow down calcification processes (helpful for arteriosclerosis, for example).
tips and tricks
Medlars cannot be stored for a long time when they are soft. Store in the refrigerator and consume within five days.