The medlar is the Fruit common Néflier. It is hardly any more marketed nowadays. It was also called “bottom of dog” or “bottom of monkey” (in Morvan).
Etymology
Its name, mesle in former French, comes from the Latin mespilum, - has , word borrowed from the Greek mespilon ; this word would be formed of the Greek words mesos and pilos , ball, in reference to the hemispherical form of this fruit.
Description
Formerly common (the medlars disappear little by little with impoverishment from the biodiversity), this fleshy fruit, in the shape of spinning top depressed at the top and surmounted by the five persistent teeth of the chalice, is false a Drupe (in fact, a Piridion): the flesh surrounds five core X which contains Hydrocyanic acid . It is a small fruit, from 3 to 5 cm of diameter. There exists a variety of medlar without core. One collects them or picking after the first cold ones.
Use
The medlar with the characteristic not to be consumable with maturity, because it is too hard and too sour, because of the wealth of Tannin S of the Mésocarpe. It can be consumed only after Blettissement. The harvest in fact takes place with complete maturity, in general after the first Gel ées, and the overripeness consists in laying out the fruits on a bed of straw during a fifteen or so days. It then occurs a natural Fermentation which modifies the chemical composition mésocarpe and softens it. The fruit blet is sweetened, but does not contain a Saccharose, only one mixture of Dextrose and a Lévulose (reversed sugar) and a little alcohol. It has a taste a little Vin them.The medlar is a fruit of Hiver. Some find it little appétissante, and it appears preferable to consume it cooked. It can be also used to make Confiture S, Compote S or Ratafia.
Originating in the the Caucasus and Arménie, its consumption is attested since the Antiquité in Europe of south-east. It will be it until the Moyen-âge.
Not to confuse with the medlar of Japan or bibace (also written “bibasse”), fruit of the Néflier of Japan, which is a fruit of yellow color, very juicy and tasty, with taste acidulated, which is collected, in April - May, only in the zone of culture of the Oranger.
Receipt
- Frozen of medlars
To place the medlars not peeled and cut into 4 in a Stewpan, to cover them with water, and to make boil until bursting of the fruits. They should then be pressed to express the juice and to filter it. This juice, added with Sugar crystallized at a rate of 750 G per Liter, is put to boil during 20 minutes approximately, by stirring up it of time to other, until obtaining the catch in frost. As of the catch, to put the frost out of pots.
Ingredients: 2 kg of medlars, granulated sugar. One can aromatize the frost while incorporating at the beginning with the water of cooking of the grooves and a piece of lemon peel.
Expression
In the familiar language, “ Of the medlars! ” is a expression which gets busy to mean “something of low value” or to express a denial or a refusal.
Quotation
“The artists, it is like the medlars, one consumes them when they are rotted”, Julos Beaucarne.
See too
medlar|medlar
External bonds
A page of the university Pierre and Marie Curie
| Random links: | Interarmes | Revolt Silk workers | Sisters of the Cross | Martine Mauléon | Marcel Héraud |