Medlars are, without a  doubt, one of our favourite fruit and one which we use to make our award willing Medlar Jelly and their pulp is used to flavour some of our favourite chutneys.

Medlars are an ancient fruit which grow on attractive trees, which used to grace many gardens before the prudeish Victorians took exception to their less than lovely appearance. It's not for nothing that their country name is cat's arse fruit on account of their colour and splayed petals, and if that were not enough Shakespeare made several bawdy references to the plant in his plays. The Victorians either chopped the trees down or erected screens around the trees to protect the sensibilities of the ladies, and as a result very few specimens remain.

We are fortunate to have access to a particularly fine young tree in Cambridgeshire and each year we pay homage during the first week in November when the egg sized fruit are starting to soften. Until this time the Medlar is rock hard and useless but then bletting starts which essentially means that they start to rot. You have to keep an eye on your medlars and keep sorting out the bletted ones and using them before they start to decay. The window of opportunity is perhaps two or there weeks so it's no surprise that they are not seen as a commercially viable crop.

As for the Medlars, their flesh offers a subtle but sublime flavour. Its s sort of apple /caramel/date mix with a hint of spice underpinned by a certain earthiness. If that all soounds like wine buffesque gobbledygook and not entirely attractive, I would urge you to seek out some Medlar Jelly and try it for yourself. It's not everyday you get to experience a truly unique flavour.