Medlars are a very old fashioned fruit that is not often used nowadays.  It has been used in English kitchens since the 16th century but now is hardly known.  Its origins are in eurasia but even there,  it is now rare. The fruit of the medlar has to be ‘bletted‘ (or left to soften) and the art is to catch it before it goes to far. In the picture these are just on the cusp of being ready to use. My first attempt at using this fruit was to make Medlar Cheese.  This old recipe I used is from Theodore Garrett,  The Encyclopaedia of Practical Cookery found at  http://www.historicfood.com/medlar%20cheese%20recipe.htm and it worked really well, so many thanks to the folk at historic foods.   The process of cooking the fruit in a … Read entire article »