chagrinvalleyherbsociety October 2021 Herb of the Month
The medlar (Mespilus germanica) is a large shrub or tree that produces fruits in the late fall and early winter. It’s a member of the rose family, which makes sense because the fruits are reminiscent of large rose hips. The fruit is said to taste like apple butter, with hints of cinnamon, and vanilla.
There are several common medlar varieties you can grow. Royal and Nottingham are the two most widely available types, and are smaller than Dutch or Russian. Royal is said to have the best flavor, while Nottingham—the most compact variety—has gained the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.
The fruit of the medlar is a small pome that is eaten fresh when “bletted” or overripe. Bletting is a process of harvesting the fruit and allowing them to overripen in a controlled environment such as a cool cellar. It also happens naturally to fruit left on the tree until frost.
• The bletting process allows the starch to convert to fructose and reduces the acid and tannin levels, making the fruit soft and sweet.
• The bletted medlar are used to make jelly.
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