Medlars are a challenge
With medlars occupying more than 3 so called bancales, terrazes which are about 1.000 m2 each, we have a lot of medlars to process.
The medlar is related to the rose shrub (Rosaceae). The fruit is also called medlar. So both the shrub as the fruit itself carry the same name. In Spain it is called ‘Nisperos’.
Our neighboring village Callosa d’en Sarria is well known for its medlars. From a distance, so also from our finca because our finca is situated on a hill, you can see the large acreage of medlars. Most of them are covered with huge nets to prevent them from being eaten by the birds and other medlar lovers.
Medlars are sweet and tasty, you can eat them right from the tree. Don’t try this with olive, pistachios or almonds, this will taste very, very bitter and it is not meant to be. Like I told you in the blog about olives, they need to be prepared for eating. And almonds and pistachios as well, they need to be roasted to improve taste. It is said that raw almonds even could be poisonous. Amygdalin is a natural ingredient that while eating could be transformed into prussic acid or cyanide. Let’s not try this! Apart from that it is far too bitter, just like trying to eat the olives. Anyway, let me continue about the medlar.
Apple pie with medlars
Its origin is in Small-asia but it was first led into the south of Europe by the Greek. In the north it is not widely known, for us it was an unknown fruit as well. But not longer, because now we enjoy the wealth in taste and texture of this delicious fruit. I use these adorable fruits in my (dutch) apple pie, usually I add around 40% medlars next to our own apples and nuts like almonds and walnuts harvested from our trees. And often I add some Jalea de membrillo, my homemade jelly of quinces. Please don’t eat your fingers, this will hurt:).
Working with gloves
Taste of the medlars is somewhere between my apples and my pears. I cut them into both larger and smaller pieces to prepare my different products. But before the cutting can start there is a lot of work in removing the peel. The peel gives off color and it is absolutely necessary that I use gloves because of the amount of medlars I need to process. Otherwise my hands will look like I am a heavy smoker, like last year. It took weeks to disappear from my hands. Wearing gloves doesn’t make me feel comfortable, I’d rather use my bare hands, but dirty as it is it makes me choose clean and presentable hands. For my events on the finca, but also for my dancing it makes me feel better. An important thing.
Pruning is a first step
Before you can lay your hands on these precious ones, some earlier work in earlier months needs to be done. I am talking about pruning during the winter months. In December they will be targeted to prune, next to a lot of other orchards. Pruning of the medlars means that you need to select which ones can stay and which ones need to be removed. This already starts with the sprouted flowers. You will leave one or two on every breach. In March and April I will continue with a kind of ‘triage’ because at that moment there will be a selection of what medlars, the fruits, are gonna stay to develop to nice, big and firm ‘adults’ to be used by me. Those bigger ones will be richer in taste and far easier to handle for me, because you need to know there is also a pit in it, which takes around 30% of the total unit. So you will understand more flesh per medlar is better to work with.
This whole process, starting with the pruning and ending with the peeling to the making of the end products is very enjoyable. Also paying attention to the different trees, under which the medlars, during my daily walks on the finca is for me living a wonderful life. Being so close to nature makes me very happy. Especially in the morning you can smell Mother Earth and during autumn and winter you can almost feel the trees have fallen asleep. I never knew this life would be so fulfilling.
Please be welcome to have an experience at our finca. I don’t say it will change your life, but it will certainly give you emotions and sensations that will be new to you. I would love to guide you, it will make both you and me smile. Contact me for this guaranteed absolutely marvelous mind breaking (not dirty) experience, I will wait for you.
Or consider helping me with the picking of fruits, whenever you like, there is always work on the finca. Next weeks for example I will start picking oranges, they are almost ready. As I am.
A most sincerely hug, I will give you that in advance.