Wondering what to do with medlar fruit? Are you looking for a sweet spread? Or a fruity topping for your porridge or cereal? This recipe transforms bletted medlars into naturally sweet medlar butter. A simple, easy old-world preserve that isn't jam but still captures the caramel-like flavour of the fruit.
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What Are Medlars?
The medlar appeared in Europe long before Roman times. It was popular until the Middle Ages, but by the 1700s, it had lost its popularity.
The medlar is a small crab-apple-sized fruit with a dull golden colour. Medlars are not particularly attractive fruit. Amusingly, they are referred to in some localities as "monkey's bottom" due to their appearance. Don't let this put you off, though!
Medlars need to be bletted before they become palatable. This is the process of natural softening and ripening. If you were to bite into a medlar straight off the tree, it would be hard and astringent.
Key Ingredients & Notes
For the medlar fruit recipe, only three ingredients are required:
- Medlar fruit: Bletted, pulped and pureed.
- Soft brown sugar: Compliments the medlars' natural sweetness by gently enhancing the sweetness and caramel flavour.
- Water.
Step-by-Step Photos
Remove the skin from the medlars.
Transfer the fruit pulp to a saucepan and add the water. Bring to a rapid boil and then simmer for 15 minutes.
Pass the medlar fruit pulp through a colander (not a sieve) to separate the seeds.
After separating the seeds, transfer the fruit puree back to the pot and add the sugar over medium heat.
Stir continually. As the mixture thickens, it will change colour.
Once ready, transfer to sterilised bottles and seal the jars shut once the contents have cooled.
Ingredient Substitution
I use soft brown sugar in this recipe because I like the colour it gives the medlar butter, and it complements the medlar's natural sweetness and flavour. You can, however, use demerara sugar or any other kind of brown sugar.
Recipe Variations
To add extra flavour, you could add clove, star anise, or cinnamon powder.
Storage
You can keep this medlar fruit butter at room temperature in a cool, dark place, or refrigerated, for up to 3 months. Make sure that you sterilise the jars and use a clean spoon.
Top Tips
The reason for using a colander, not a sieve, is that the aim is only to remove the stones and leave the pulp. During cooking, the pulp breaks down completely into a smooth puree-like texture.
How will you know when the fruit butter is ready? It will change from a tan colour into a chocolate brown colour. It will be thick, like a soft jam, and have a nice shine. Have a look at the video to see the different stages.
FAQ's
Medlar is harvested relatively late in the year, around late October into November. The aim is to gather them when they are fully mature but still firm. A frost helps the ripening process. Once they are off the tree, they usually need to be bletted.
A popular way to use medlars is to make medlar jelly or medlar jam. This recipe is for medlar butter-a simple, easy preserve. It is between a fruit puree and a jam.
The soft, sweet fruit has a rich, caramel-like flavour. I've also heard it described as tasting like an over-ripe date. Unripe medlars, on the other hand, are astringent and will make your mouth pucker!
Medlar fruit can be eaten raw by squishing out the fruit after bletting has finished. Bletting is the process of turning the fruit from a hard, tart, inedible fruit to a soft, squishy, sweet state. They are edible when they look rotted. This is counterintuitive for most of us. However, don't be put off by this appearance.
Medlar butter is delicious on porridge, cereal, or to spread on toast, scones or muffins. Try it as a topping for yoghurt or other desserHow
Bletting medlars means letting the fruit overripen until it is soft and almost mushy. Place the medlars in a single layer on some paper towels, stem side down, in a cool, dark, dry place. After a while, they will turn darker, become slightly wrinkled, and become soft to the touch. That's when they are bletted. For a shorter bletting time, wait until the first frost has passed, or put them in the freezer overnight and thaw in a cool place before leaving them to blett.
Related Recipes
Pairing Suggestions
đ Recipe
Medlar Fruit Butter (old-fashioned medlar fruit spread)
Ingredients
- 2 kg Medlar fruit Bletted
- 200 g Soft brown sugar
- 750 ml Water
Instructions
- Remove the skin from the bletted medlars and transfer into a pan with the water.
- Bring to a rapid boil and simmer for 15 minutes or until the medlars are soft and pulpy.
- Pass the medlar puree through a colander (not a sieve)
- Once the seeds are out, transfer the pulp back into a pot with the sugar over medium heat.
- Keep stirring throughout this process as the medlar pulp will jump. Be careful as the medlar butter thickens, it will be hot and can cause severe burns.
- As the syrup thickens, it will change colour. If you have a temperature probe or a jam thermometer, you can measure the temperature to 85Âș to 90ÂșC. If you don't, please watch the video, which shows the thickness you should achieve.
- Once ready transfer to sterilised bottles and seal the jars shut once the contents has cooled a bit.
- Store in a dry dark place or refrigerate.
Nutrition
NOTES
Food Safety
- Wash your hands regularly while preparing, handling and cooking food.
- Wipe down countertops and high-contact points regularly.
- If you cook meat and fish, do not use the same utensils on cooked food that previously touched raw meat. Use separate chopping boards for meat and fish. Wash your chopping boards immediately after use.
- Thoroughly cook food to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C).
- Don't leave food at room temperature for extended periods (more than 2 hours).
- Store food correctly.
Gary says
Love having this on porridge
Robin Bell says
This is really good, but it was very difficult to pass the medlar purĂ©e through a colander. I eventually had to water the purĂ©e down considerably, which meant then having to reduce the strained purĂ©e, which took a very long time! I added some ground ginger to half the batch and I think that really makes a difference. This is easy, but be ready to spend considerably more time on it than expected! And my husband agrees with Gary: itâs great on porridge.
Chef Tripti says
Hello Robin,
Am so glad that you enjoyed it. The addition of ginger sounds amazing, I may have to give it a go.
Regarding passing the puree, please may I ask if you cooked it till it was soft? Also did you remove the skin? Sorry if I am stating the obvious, but best to cover all eventualities. You definitely need a colander with large holes, it doesn't work with a sieve. The only suggestion I can give, to make it easier is removing the seeds before cooking. The only issue with that is a little more loss of the fruit pulp.
I make damson jam and passing that is quite hard, so sometimes I use gloves and press through with my hands.
Hope the helps.
Belle says
5*****
Chef Tripti says
Thank you so much!