SC - Medlars-Actual info

[LrdRas at aol.com]

Here are some Medlar sources:

This site gives a complete description of the plant, growth habits, fruit 
production, harvest and usage, as well as a picture of the fruit which 
resembles a large rosehip.

http://www.efn.org/%7Ebsharvy/edible6.html#Medlar

QUOTE:
Medlar (Mespilus germanica)
 Categories 
USDA Zones: (4)567(8) 
Plant Type: Tree 
Yield: ? 
Storable: 1 month 
Bears: 4-6 yrs 
Shape: Mounded 
Height: 10-25ft 
Spread: 7-15ft 
Lifespan: Very long 
Growth: ? 
Pruning: Optional 
Origin: Europe 
Food Type: Fruit, 
Appearance: Flowers, fall color, Ornamental, 
Uses: Fresh, cooked 
Misc. Features: Self-productive, 
Prefers: - 
Rejects: Part-shade,Poor soil, 
Problems: [MINIMAL], 
Cycles: Summer bloom,Late harvest 

Harvest & Use
Pick fruit when leaves begin to fall. Fruits are hard when ripe and must sit 
off the tree for a few weeks to soften and sweeten. The fruit will be mushy 
brown (rotten-looking, basically) when ready to eat; flavor is described as 
rich, cidery and wine-like.
Appearance
The wide pink-white flowers are showy and late-arriving, just like a movie 
star. The green leaves are downy, dull, and dark, turning yellow with fall. 
The rust-colored fruits resemble small apples. The medlar grows to 20' with a 
crooked look and informal air. It is attractive with other shrubs or as a 
specimen tree.

Cultivation
The medlar grows poorly in frost-free areas, and in poor soils. Propagation 
is usually by grafting onto quince, Hawthorne, or pear (Reich).

Comment
The medlar has been cultivated in Europe for millennia, particularly by the 
French, reaching a popular peak during the Middle Ages. It now grows wild 
over much of Europe and southern Great Britain, but Authorities place its 
origin either in central Europe, or around the Caspian Sea.

Cultivars of Repute
Dutch, Macrocarpa (large fruit), Nottingham, Royal

General References
[C= cultivation; R = recipes; L = lore; A = all]
* Grigson [R,L]
* Reich [C, L]
* Simmons [C, L] 

Ras

============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================