Attention gardners

Food, Nutrition and Agriculture
jansman
Posts: 13623
Joined: Thu Dec 30, 2010 7:16 pm

Re: Attention gardners a.k.a. quinces

Post by jansman »

Arzosah wrote: Thu Nov 26, 2020 3:39 pm I'm pulling up an old thread because it's about quince: I've finally got round to processing some quince from my shrub. I've just realised I didn't even weigh them :oops: but the bottom of a jam pan is well covered by halved quinces. I glugged some out of date lemon juice in there (I hope I don't kill myself, btw) and I'm supposed to let it simmer for an hour, then strain it through. There are also recipes where you use the flesh (this is the fruit that marmalade originated from).

I should have done this at the beginning of this month at the latest: I picked loads, but I've not been able to process them because of stuff going on. Anyway, these are left, and we'll see. I made 3 jars a few years ago, and they tasted nice.

It's not an automatic choice, but it could be really useful:
- the fruits are edible once processed, and they don't take long - chop them in half, simmer for 30 - 60 mins while covered with water and some lemon juice, strain, measure the liquid, boil up again with the right amount of sugar, jar it up and away you go.
- it's thorny. Potentially very thorny. The fruits kind of stand out, so I wouldn't put it in the front, but if you wanted defensive bushes around the edges of your back garden, it would be a good one.
- bees love it. It's early food for them, and they cluster around my shrub for weeks and weeks.
- it's incredibly easy to grow. All the advice says full sun, south or west facing. Mine grows north-facing in partial shade.

Oh, and I'm going to nab some seeds (there are *lots* of seeds) and try to grow some.
A win- win situation there Arzosah. Defensive perennial shrub. You cannot beat perennials in your food garden; almost zero work, and a crop each year.
In three words I can sum up everything I have learned about life: It goes on.

Robert Frost.

Covid 19: After that level of weirdness ,any situation is certainly possible.

Me.
grenfell
Posts: 3952
Joined: Thu Jul 04, 2013 7:55 pm

Re: Attention gardners

Post by grenfell »

Mention of quinces reminds me of an incident earlier this year. In a couple of gardens i visit there are bushes which bear an appleish sort of fruit. A sort of speckled green fruit , small but not very numerous and nothing to worry about thorns , and a red tinge to the leaves. One of the owners sons asked me if they were crab apples. I was very certain they weren't and didn't think they were quinces either. I took pictures and a sample to try to identify the plant. Turns out it was a quince , a japanese quince :oops: . They ripen around january / February , turning yellow which is the time i'm not there. Evidently edible although some say they are too tough to bother with. My one customer says she will try making jam or jelly with some so i may get to try them . Unripe they are very bitter.