BY PETER BROOK
A forgotten fruit of the country-house kitchen
There are few fruits so old-fashioned, and so richly evocative of the English winter, as the medlar. Once found in every English rectory orchard and manor garden, its curious brown fruit was prized long after apples and pears had disappeared from the shelves. Today, the medlar is enjoying a quiet revival — a reward for those who value patience and a taste of the past.
The medlar (Mespilus germanica) ripens only after “bletting” — the gentle softening that occurs when the fruit is left to mellow in straw or newspaper for several weeks. What begins as hard and astringent becomes dark, yielding, and aromatic, with a flavour somewhere between spiced apple, date, and port wine.
A Taste of the Past
In Victorian and Edwardian kitchens, this transformation was eagerly awaited. When the fruit had “gone,” as cooks used to say, it was turned into jellies, cheeses, and jams for the breakfast table and sideboard. Mrs Beeton called it “a preserve of excellent flavour for the luncheon or dessert table,” and country households near kennels and stables often paired it with game pie or cold beef on hunting mornings.
In the hunting counties of old, the medlar tree was almost as much a fixture of the rectory garden as the quince and mulberry. Its fruit came into its own in late November and December, when the first frosts had passed and the shoots of next season’s hounds were still being judged.
The Field, even before the Great War, lamented the medlar’s decline — describing it as “a forgotten fruit that rewards those who wait.” Yet many old sporting houses still hide one in a corner of the orchard, its branches knotted and grey, bearing its curious russet fruit in silence.
To make medlar jam or jelly is to do as generations before us did — to wait, to watch, and to take pleasure in the season’s slow rewards. Spread thick on toast beside the coffee pot before hounds move off, or served with cold game on Boxing Day, it remains a true taste of the English countryside.
Below are three recipes:
Traditional Medlar Jam
Makes: about 4 small jars
Ingredients:
- 1.5 kg (3 lb) bletted medlars
- Water to cover
- 450 g sugar per 600 ml (1 lb per pint) of pulp
- Juice of 1 lemon
Method:
- Remove stalks and blemishes, but do not peel or core. Cover with water and simmer gently until soft (about 1 hour).
- Spoon into a jelly bag or muslin and leave to drip overnight — do not squeeze.
- Measure the juice; for every 600 ml add 450 g sugar and the lemon juice.
- Boil rapidly until the setting point (220°F / 104°C).
- Pot into sterilised jars and seal. Improves with keeping.
The result is an amber preserve with a fine, honeyed sharpness — excellent with bread, cheese, or roast meats.
Spiced Medlar Jam
Makes: about 5 small jars
Ingredients:
- 1.5 kg bletted medlars
- 1 lemon (juice and zest)
- 1 cinnamon stick, 2–3 cloves, small piece fresh ginger (optional)
- Sugar as above
Method: Simmer medlars, lemon zest, and spices in just enough water to cover until soft. Strain overnight, then boil with sugar and lemon juice to setting point. Remove the spices before potting.
This version brings a faint echo of mulled wine — perfect for toast on a frosty morning or alongside venison and pheasant terrine.
Medlar and Apple Jam
Makes: 5–6 jars
Ingredients:
- 1 kg bletted medlars
- 500 g cooking apples (peeled, cored, chopped)
- 1 litre water
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 1 kg granulated sugar
Method: Simmer the fruit with water and lemon juice until soft. Sieve to remove skins and seeds, add sugar, and boil to a firm set.
A fresher, lighter version — the apples lend a clean acidity while keeping the flavour recognisably medlar.
Peter Brook has authored several books related to Baily’s Hunting Directory, including Baily’s Hunting Directory Activity Boo, Baily’s Pre-Directory Hunt Listing and Great Days Two: Mr Harwicke’s harriers.