2024 Author: Jasmine Walkman | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 08:29
Medlar (Mespilus germanica) is one of the most pleasant trees grown in backyards. In addition to pleasing to the eye, medlar fruits, often underestimated, hide a number of virtues, as a tasty and useful gift from nature.
Medlar is a prickly subtropical evergreen shrub or tree of the rose family. It has a dark gray bark on the trunk and branches, and the leaves are large, lanceolate, shiny, and strongly hairy on the underside. The flowers are white or light yellow, with a strong aroma.
Medlar like the quince, it is a medium-developed tree or shrub, but with smaller dimensions - from 3 to 4 m. Usually the medlar, like the quince, develops short shoots at the top with flower buds in the beginning of spring. It blooms late and almost suffers from spring frosts.
The fruits of medlar are small, spherical, oval or pear-shaped, with fine moss on the skin and a juicy sour-sweet fleshy part. They sharpen to the handle. There are quite hard seeds, wrapped in the fruit flesh itself and difficult to separate from it.
Medlars most often have a lighter or darker gray-brown skin, rough, hard and tough. The flesh inside is light in color. At tree maturity medlars have a very tart taste and are not consumed. They can be eaten only after standing and rotting, like wild pears. Edible medlars are soft and have a pleasant sweet-sour taste. Medlars grow best in temperate climates and all soils, as long as they are not extremely poor and gravelly, because they are moisture-loving.
It is believed that the homeland of medlar (Mespilus germanica) is the Caucasus, and from there it spreads throughout Europe. Since ancient times, medlar has been valued as a food and medicine. There is historical evidence that the fruit was cultivated as early as 1000 BC. in the countries of East Asia and in Western China. Even the ancient Thracians knew the virtues of medlar well.
To date, medlars are grown mostly in California (USA), Japan, Spain, southern France, Italy and others. In Bulgaria it is also found in abundance, but as single trees in the yards, not as plantations.
Composition of medlar
Medlar it should not be underestimated in terms of the useful elements it contains. In brown fruits we find a large amount of starch, cellulose, pectin and organic acids, of which mainly malic, citric and tartaric. In the softened fruits, acetic acid is formed as a result of the started fermentation.
Medlar is a suitable food for diabetics, because the sugars in these fruits are at the expense of fructose and glucose Among the vitamins that have a beneficial effect on our health are vitamin C, carotene, vitamin B1 and B2. Also in the hairy medlar there are a lot of mineral salts - potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron and sodium. In terms of nutritional value, medlars are equal to those of the average varieties of apples and pears.
In fact, the chemical composition of medlars brings them as close as possible to apples, because they contain up to 6, 7% malic acid, 10-19% sugar, citric acid, vitamin C, tannin and aromatic substances, pectin, phytoncides and more. The leaves contain a lot of tannins.
Selection and storage of medlar
Once ripe on the tree, medlars are still unfit for consumption. They should be left to rot to get a pleasant taste. Medlars are usually harvested in September and October, initially hard, but after the first frosts fall, they become softer, sweeter and more fragrant, and their tart taste decreases.
It is important to pick them carefully, without grinding and shaking, because they are easily injured. If you collect medlars for support, you should place them in boxes or cassettes in layers 40 to 50 cm thick. Store them in a cool and ventilated place that will allow them to keep for up to 2 months.
Do not spread medlars very thin, because they will dry and shrink so easily, which makes them unfit for eating. As the medlars ripen, inspect them regularly and remove excessively crumpled and softened fruit. Otherwise, it can form mold, which will damage the other fruits. consumed as they mold and damage the rest. If you pick medlars after frost, it is better to consume them immediately, because they will rot faster.
Culinary application of medlar
It is best to eat medlar in a fresh and softened state. But in addition, these hairy autumn fruits are popular in our country for the preparation of marmalades, jams, jams, savers, compotes, juices. They are often used in fruit cakes and pastries. It is interesting to know that a coffee substitute is prepared from the seeds. If you have larger quantities of medlars, you can dry them in the sun or preserve them. Here is an easy recipe for delicious marmalade.
Medlar jam
Necessary Products: medlar - 3 kg softened, sugar - 1 kg, cloves - a few berries, cinnamon - 1 stick
Preparation: Boil the peeled fruits in a little water, which will make them even softer, and rub them through a sieve or colander. Discard the seeds and skins and boil the porridge together with the cloves and cinnamon for about 5 minutes. Add the sugar and stir until thickened. Remove the cinnamon and pour the medlar jam into warmed jars, which close immediately.
Benefits of medlar
A number of benefits of consuming medlars can be listed. It is believed that fruits and food products prepared from them have a stimulating effect on the endocrine glands and the digestive system, which makes them especially useful in reduced functions of these organs. Medlars are recommended for diseases of the bile, kidneys and liver.
The organic acids in the fruit, of which malic, citric and tartaric, predominate, have a good effect on the blood vessels and the nervous system. If you suffer from gastrointestinal disorders, you can consume soft and immature medlars because of the tannins they contain, which have an astringent effect. As a counterpoint to greens, ripe fruits have a pronounced diuretic effect and are a suitable remedy for inflammation of the kidneys and urinary tract.
A good hemostatic agent is a decoction of medlar leaves (1 tablespoon per 1 cup of water. Since ancient times medlars have been respected for their ability to strengthen the intestines and improve digestion. In addition, a decoction of medlar leaves helps with colds and sore throats. In asthma and bronchitis, an alcoholic tincture of medlar is used.
Recipe from the East
Mix 5 mashed fruits, 2 tbsp. honey and 100 grams of sake (Japanese 28 degree vodka). Leave for a few days and filter. Take 100 g 3 times daily before meals.
With this mixture you can clean the lungs of mucus and relieve breathing. If you wash it heated quickly through a straw, it helps to eliminate cough.
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The Healing Properties Of Medlar
Homeland of medlar is Southwest Asia. It has been cultivated for more than three millennia in the region around the Caspian Sea and northern Iran, and was brought to ancient Greece around 700 BC. Initially, its fruits were used for their healing properties , but not as a delicious food.
Let's Make Medlar Jam
Medlar fruits reach their maturity in September. Interestingly, they remain on the tree even after the leaves fall, until the end of November. They are brownish-green, ball-like balls. There is a remnant of the cup on top of them. They have a sweet-tart taste and seeds, hard as a stone.
