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I'll bet you have never even heard of Medlar, much less eaten one. It has been popular enough in the past to place it among the food items considered de rigueur for medieval and Renaissance-era banquets and feasts put on by the local Society for Creative Anachronism, an international organization dedicated to the arts and skills of pre-17th century Europe.[1] Shakesphere mentions the Medlar in more than one play and Caravaggio included it in his 1592 painting, Boy With A Basket of Fruit.
The Medlar, mespilus germanica, is a member of the rose family and is botanically somewhere between a pear and a Hawthorne. The Medlar is a small, deciduous tree of about 20' in height and width with a broad crown and heavy foliage. The branches may be contorted or very angular and the wild varieties may have thorns. It is hardy to USDA zone 4-9 and grows wild in temperate regions of Europe. It is reported to be indigenous to southwest Asia and southeastern Europe and was introduced to Germany by the Romans. It is said that Medlars were taken to North America by the Jesuits in the 1800's and introduced to South Africa in the 17th century.
The foliage is quite showy in the fall with yellow or red leaves. The fruit, if left on the tree creates winter interest. The leaves are 2 - 6 inches long and 1 to 1 1/2 inches wide, alternate, elliptic, dark green in the upper surface, "hairy" and grayish beneath. The leaf margin is entire, serrated at the apex. The trees dense foliage hides the branches. The solitary flowers appear at the tip of the growth of the year, depending on the location from late April to early June. The five petaled flowers are 1" - 2" wide, pinky white and look to me like something like a wild rose. Medlars are self-fertile and if pollination should not occur, the Medlar can set fruit parthenocarpically, that is, without any pollination whatsoever.
The fruit is round, one to two inches in diameter looking somewhat like a brown, over-grown rose hip with a calyx on its crown. The fruit is open at the bottom exposing five seed boxes. The uniqueness of the fruit comes from the fact that it must be nearly rotten to be edible. (And now you know why you have never heard of it!) The process of "ripening" the fruit is referred to as bletting which takes 2 to 3 weeks in storage. The fruit becomes soft, mushy brown, sweet and tasty with a flavor described as close to cinnamon applesauce. Medlars are a fruit that can be eaten fresh in the winter. Poking a hole in the fruit and sucking out the bletted (let's not say rotted) flesh spitting out the smooth seeds is one way to experience the unique taste of Medlar.
They can also be cooked into jellies and jams as they are high in pectin. "But it has long been regarded as a dessert fruit for connoisseurs. Prof. Saintsbury in his classic book on wines, "Notes on a Cellar", declared that "the one fruit which seems to me to go best with all wine, from hock to sherry and from claret to port, is the Medlar - an admirable and distinguished thing in itself, and a worthy mate for the best of liquors".
Francesca Greensack in her fascinating book "Forgotten Fruit" said, "the lingering, slightly sweet, slightly winey flavor makes the Medlar seem like a natural comfit". She also mentioned "roasting them with butter and cloves as a traditional winter dessert" and recommends jelly made from them "as an accompaniment to game"."[3]
Medlars like moist but well-drained soil, and full sun and adapt to soil fertility. Medlars can be grown from seed or grafted or budded onto pear, quince or hawthorn rootstock. There are about two dozen cultivars at the National Clonal Germplasm repository of the U.S. department of agriculture in Corvallis, Oregon and others growing wild in Europe. They are considered easy to grow but a bit difficult to start from seed. They work well as a potted "patio" tree if left outside and exposed to winter conditions. The tree fruits as early as three years, producing a good crop.
Other Uses for the Medlar Tree
The wood of the slow growing Medlar tree is hard, even, fine grained and polishes well and is reported to be practically unbreakable. The wood is not used for lumber as the tree stays relatively small and the branches are not necessarily straight. Because the wood is rather hard, it has been used for spear points, hunting and warfare clubs and fighting sticks and making windmill parts, especially some of the turning wheels. [6] The Basque people use the wild Medlar to make their traditional Makhila which is both a walking stick and a defensive weapon. The unique process starts with carving lines on a living branch of a tree that is at least 15 years old in the spring and harvesting the branch in the winter. Over the summer the design of the carving has expanded with the growth of the tree. The bark is removed and the branch straightened with the heat of a kiln which takes a great deal of skill. The wood is then allowed to dry naturally for several years. The wood is then colored using guarded family techniques. The stick is finished with made-to-measure decorative fittings which are cut, carved, braced and decorated pieces of brass, silver, german silver or gold. The handle is either metal or garnished with woven leather straps and finished with a horn or worked metal pommel. The handle unscrews to reveal a forged metal spike which can be used for walking or defense.[4] Traditional makhila are inscribed with a short verse of the owners own symbolism in the arcane Basque language. The making of a makhila is a tradition passed down from Father to Son and there are only very few makhila makers left.
Reports of medicinal uses for Medlar are scanty. I did find a single recommendation of a remedy for kidney stones that proposes that Medlar leaves be boiled and drunk as tea until the stone is ejected. Although the fruit is edible, it is not considered GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe). In addition, like many members of the Rosaceae family, the seeds contain hydro-cyanic acid (prussic acid) and may be toxic if eaten. [2]
Where Can You Find a Medlar Tree?
The USDA repository in Corvallis, OR may have limited amounts of Medlar scion wood available that can be grafted onto a variety of rootstock including, quince, Hawthorne and pear.
Nurseries specializing in edible landscaping and/or rare fruits including Raintree, One Green World, and Edible Landscaping.
CREDITS:
[1]The San Francisco Chronicle
PLANT OF THE WEEK: Medlar Squishy fruit deservedly saved from oblivion
I am a native So. Californian transplanted to Connecticut about 10 years ago. I consider myself a "born-again Yankee" and thoroughly enjoy playing in the dirt here, now that I have all the rocks stacked up in piles and out of my way! I am very interested in the permaculture movement and am trying to put together a self-sustaining food "forest" on my city lot. By day I am a sales analyst and at night a Community College adjunct. I am also "mom" to Wallingford, King of the Nah-Nah Brotherhood of Manly Cats here on DG.
Posted by gradinar (from Providence, RI) on February 9, 2008 at 4:06 PM:
I am from the Balkans, and I love, love, love medlars. My grandfather had a beautiful tree, and it was a real treat to eat the fruit in the fall. Yes, a bit messy to eat but very tasty. Also, the tree is compact and pretty, and pest-free (on the Balkans).
...
Subject: Amazing!
Posted by doccat5 (from Fredericksburg, VA) on February 5, 2008 at 4:19 AM:
Really enjoyed your article. Very interesting and I think I'd like to try growing one of these trees. I don't know about the blett part, but sources for good but unusual jams and jellies are hard to come by. Thanks for the information. :)
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Posted by svplantingfool (from South Venice, FL) on February 5, 2008 at 7:39 AM:
What a great article! A new fruit I've never heard of, and a new word of the day for rotten butterfly fruit- bletted! Great read and beautiful pictures, thanks!
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Posted by pixie62560 (from South China, ME) on February 5, 2008 at 7:48 AM:
Yank that was a great article! And your right, I've never eaten the fruit and didn't know I could grow one here in Maine!!! Thank you for the great info and I learned something new today!
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Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on February 5, 2008 at 9:43 AM:
Thanks... I love knowing about unusual fruits and vegetables, always looking for new ones to try. However I think I will pass on the medlar.
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Posted by grampapa (from Wheatfield, NY) on February 5, 2008 at 9:57 AM:
AYC, thanks for my new knowledge for today. I won't run right out and buy one, but this is fascinating. Leave it to you to come up with this one ;0)
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Posted by gardenwife (from Newark, OH) on February 5, 2008 at 12:44 PM:
I'd never heard of this fruit until reading your article. What an interesting history! It seems people used to be far more willing to covet difficult-to-prepare foods like this one. I'm the first to admit I don't want to work that hard for fruit! :D
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Posted by victorgardener (from Lower Hudson Valley, NY) on February 5, 2008 at 1:51 PM:
Very interesting, Cat! Not sure I'm really into the flesh sucking, seed spitting part though. I prefer the wood for weapons part. I think it's a better way to remove kidney stones anyway - a couple of good blows to the lower back and the stones, seeds and sucked flesh would probably all come flying out.
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Posted by Dea (from Frederick, MD) on February 5, 2008 at 2:40 PM:
lol !!!
Great article and thanks for the new wrinkle in my grey matter :)
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Posted by critterologist (from Frederick, MD) on February 5, 2008 at 2:57 PM:
Cool! Hey, Cat, I think I see a joint order to Raintree in our future... ?
I was especially intrigued by the idea of growing it as a potted specimen on the patio...
Thanks for a wonderful article!
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Posted by AYankeeCat (from Fairfield County, CT) on February 5, 2008 at 3:06 PM:
Sorry, I already have a medlar - I planted it last spring. The picture of the flower in the article is mine. I didn't let it set fruit because it was just settling in. I figured that even if I didn't like the fruit, the squirrels would and it does make a contribution to the genetic diversity of the area.
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Posted by gloria125 (from Greensboro, AL) on February 5, 2008 at 3:58 PM:
Well I did know about medlars and Ive been watching the National Clonal Germplasm Repository to see when they would be available.
Im still not sure If they will grow this far South, and from your article Im not sure I would enjoy the fruit! But maybe some of the possums and other critters around here would.
thanks,
gloria
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Posted by Sharran (from Calvert City, KY) on February 5, 2008 at 4:45 PM:
Great article, AYC. Really neat way of combining rotten fruit with literature, history, warfare and critters. You do have a way with words.
thanks.
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Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on February 5, 2008 at 5:01 PM:
Never heard of them--thanks for the enlightenment! Pretty wood, and I do like cinnamon applesauce, but the critters in these woods would never let me have any. Always fun to learn about unfamiliar plants, though!
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Posted by amethystsm (from New Haven, CT) on February 5, 2008 at 5:24 PM:
interesting - makes me wonder what other fruits are out there that i've never heard of!
thanks!
amy
*
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Posted by darius (from Marion, VA) on February 5, 2008 at 8:11 PM:
There are several really good and unique fruits out there... I'm planning on writing an article or two on some I use a lot.
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Posted by soapwort243 (from South Milwaukee, WI) on February 5, 2008 at 8:52 PM:
This is a very interesting article ! I never heard of this fruit before. It looks good-I wish I could taste one!
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Posted by KyWoods (from Melbourne, KY) on February 5, 2008 at 8:59 PM:
I'll bet an international market would have it, if you have one locally. Ours is Jungle Jim's, in Fairfield, OH. Long drive for me, but what a fun place!
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Posted by Islandshari (from Kwajalein
(Marshall Islands)) on February 5, 2008 at 9:59 PM:
Thank you for the very interesting and fun article! I had also never heard of medlars, but I am always looking for strange and unusual foods...they are just so much fun! I love the beautiful pics of the walking stick...and the description of how they are made rivals some of the elaborate craftwork from the islands....fascinating!
Thanks again!
Yokwe,
Shari
...
Posted by roybird (from Santa Fe, NM) on February 6, 2008 at 12:00 AM:
They can also be cooked into jellies and jams as they are high in pectin. "But it has long been regarded as a dessert fruit for connoisseurs. Prof. Saintsbury in his classic book on wines, "Notes on a Cellar", declared that "the one fruit which seems to me to go best with all wine, from hock to sherry and from claret to port, is the Medlar - an admirable and distinguished thing in itself, and a worthy mate for the best of liquors". 
The Medlar, mespilus germanica, is a member of the rose family and is botanically somewhere between a pear and a Hawthorne. 
The trees dense foliage hides the branches. 
The fruit is round, one to two inches in diameter looking somewhat like a brown, over-grown rose hip with a calyx on its crown. The fruit is open at the bottom exposing five seed boxes. The uniqueness of the fruit comes from the fact that it must be nearly rotten to be edible. (And now you know why you have never heard of it!) The process of "ripening" the fruit is referred to as bletting which takes 2 to 3 weeks in storage. The fruit becomes soft, mushy brown, sweet and tasty with a flavor described as close to cinnamon applesauce. Medlars are a fruit that can be eaten fresh in the winter. Poking a hole in the fruit and sucking out the bletted (let's not say rotted) flesh spitting out the smooth seeds is one way to experience the unique taste of Medlar. 
The unique process starts with carving lines on a living branch of a tree that is at least 15 years old in the spring and harvesting the branch in the winter. 
Over the summer the design of the carving has expanded with the growth of the tree. The bark is removed and the branch straightened with the heat of a kiln which takes a great deal of skill. The wood is then allowed to dry naturally for several years. The wood is then colored using guarded family techniques. The stick is finished with made-to-measure decorative fittings which are cut, carved, braced and decorated pieces of brass, silver, german silver or gold. The handle is either metal or garnished with woven leather straps and finished with a horn or worked metal pommel. The handle unscrews to reveal a forged metal spike which can be used for walking or defense.[4] Traditional makhila are inscribed with a short verse of the owners own symbolism in the arcane Basque language. The making of a makhila is a tradition passed down from Father to Son and there are only very few makhila makers left.
