Medlars, Mespilus germanica, something of an acquired taste mayhaps?
What on earth can anyone do with this many medlars???
* D.H. Lawrence
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Quote of the day:
In fact, the mere act of opening the box will determine the state of the cat, although in this case there were three determinate states the cat could be in: these being Alive, Dead, and Bloody Furious.”
 – Terry Pratchet
Forage in May for:
Alexanders, Beech leaves, Cow Parsley, Hairy Bittercress, Dandelion Flowers , Cleavers, Primroses, Ransoms, Sweet Violets, Hawthorn, Lime leaves, Red Clover, Ox-eye Daisy, Garlic Mustard, Wild Garlic
Frogend dweller's Blog 
I have no idea, but tell us. I saw a tree laden like this in a friends garden and I know she would offer me some if I showed interest.
That’s the thing ….. I have no idea either. I am not even convinced that I like them when bletted. They are a bit like baby food! I’ve seen recipes for jelly. Nigel Slater went through the same dilemma: http://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2006/dec/03/foodanddrink.recipes
I like to look at these fruits, tree and blossoms but I do not want to eat one. Medlars seem to be a decadent exotic fruit, maybe because of DH Lawrences’ poem, I followed your link to Nigel Slaters article too, I think in the end he quite likes this tree as at least its fruitful.
I do like the tree, especially since it feels like you’ve got a bit of history rooted in the garden, but I really like to be able to use the fruit that I do grow.
Strange fruit, indeed. One source recommends (after bletting for 2-3 wks) roasting it with butter and cloves, which sounds tasty enough if it weren’t necessary to rot the fruit! 😉
Exactly …. in fact I’ve given up after nibbling one and thrown the rest out.
You’re not that desperate, right? 😉
They look lovely, but the idea of rotten fruit is revolting. Calling it ‘ bletting’ doesn’ t disguise the fact that it is rotten. Your tree looks so pretty.
Yes, it appears to be festooned, but I’ve just thrown all the collected fruit out because I can’t face it.
You’re on your own as far as this goes.