Cooks' Corner

[johnw]

Was Salmon en-croute tonight.

Brian  - If that's true you'd better buy a new hat and get the flour flying.

johnw

[ArnoldT]

Anyone have a recipe for Russian medlars.  The storm brought down a couple of dozen an I'd like to use them for something.

[Maggi Young]

I wonder if a recipe for Quinces could do just as well for Medlars?

[ronm]

Anyone have a recipe for Russian medlars.  The storm brought down a couple of dozen an I'd like to use them for something.

They'll need to be 'bletted'  before you can use them for anything Arnold.  You can store them in sawdust or bran until this process is complete, 

[annew]

I used unbletted fruits to make a very nice jelly. Couldn't face letting them rot first!

[Lesley Cox]

I'll ask Alice Baird at the market on Saturday. She grows and sells medlars and has recipes. I bought some in the autumn and fully intended to do something with them but they sat in a bowl on the bench until quite recently then went into the compost I'm afraid.

[ArnoldT]

Thanks, for all the responses.

Lesley could you post the  recipe when you get one. 

Anne what's the jelly recipe for the Medlars.

Ron how do you know when they're fully bletted?

[Lesley Cox]

Will do.

[ronm]

Ron how do you know when they're fully bletted?

They'll turn dark brown and go very soft, as shown on this link,

http://www.eastsussexgarden.co.uk/esgflowersmedlars.html

[annew]

Cut the medlars into chunks, just cover with water in a pan, bring to the boil and simmer until soft. I usually crush them a bit while they are simmering to extract the juice. A lemon(zest and juice) added in is nice. Pour into a jelly bag and allow to drip overnight. Measure the resulting juice and add 1lb of sugar per pint of juice, from then on proceed as for any other jelly (i.e. boil until setting point is reached). Put into warmed jars and seal while still hot.

[Lesley Cox]

That's pretty much what Alice said yesterday. She has a medlar paste recipe somewhere too but I imagine it will be similar to one for quince paste.

What do you use for a jelly bag nowadays Anne? I still have a small stock (3) of the cotton bags my mother used to use. They originally contained flour, 5 lbs I think but now we buy flour in heavy paper bags, multi-walled for the larger amounts like 5 or 10 kgs.

[annew]

Hi Lesley - I use a jelly bag! 
Easy enough to get over here.

[Lesley Cox]

I don't think we can obtain a jelly bag as such, never seen such a thing anyway but I don't make much jelly now so probably wouldn't get one if I could. Saw a nice gadget the other day for nipping the stems out of strawberries, leaving a neat little hole. Now that I could use. $14.99 and it works on tomatoes too apparently.

[Paddy Tobin]

Lesley,
Lakeland Plastics have jelly bags - mail order.

Anne, you describe the recipe I use for jelly perfectly - redcurrant, blackcurrant, damson, loganberry, quince etc.

Paddy

[annew]

Lesley, I use a serrated edged grapefruit spoon for hulling strawberries. Every kitchen should have one!