Medlars - Growing and Cooking

Introduction                        

            Why bother with medlars?

First meeting with a medlar – Looking for information - Norfolk - Recovery – Reviving the medlar – Eastgate Larder and the National Collection orchard

Endangered foods survey

The Story of the Medlar

            Origin – Geography

History – Archeobotanical evidence and cultivation - UK 

Medlars in N America, Australasia, Europe

Medlars in Literature

            Shakespeare – Cervantes - Others

Medlars in the Garden

Botanical information – Japanese loquats and Mespilus germanica – Successful growing – Pests and diseases - Soil pH – Pruning and training – Feeding and watering – Pollination – Recommended cultivars – Recommended growers – Harvesting and bletting 

Medlars in the Diet

Nutritional benefits 

Sourcing and Storing Medlars

            Seasonality - Orchards – Foraging - Freezing

Medlars in the Kitchen - 30 recipes

            Table fruit – How to eat – Pairings

            Pectin  - unbletted and bletted medlars

            Sweet cakes and tarts – Puddings and ices – Preserves – Syrups – Jelly and Chutney

            Liqueurs – Beer

Appendix

Orchards to visit

Glossary

Bibliography

Acknowledgements

Index