What does blette mean?
Translations. blette Noun. blette, la ~ (f) (bette) chard, the ~ Noun. leaf beet, the ~ Noun.
What fruit needs to be bletted?
Bletting is a process of softening beyond ripening that certain fleshy fruits such as persimmon, medlar and quince need to undergo, off the tree, to sweeten and soften before we eat them.
How do you blet fruit?
To blet medlars They are usually rock hard and have to be softened. Pull off the leaves and place the whole fruits on a shallow plate. Leave them at cool room temperature till they turn deep brown and are soft, almost squashy, to the touch. They are then ready to cook.
When should Medlars be picked?
Medlar fruits are unusual both in appearance and in their ripening habits. They are very hard and inedible until they start to decay. They will rarely reach this stage by themselves on the tree and need to be harvested as late as possible in November .
What do Medlars look like?
Medlars are a hardy fruit that look like a cross between a small apple and a rosehip. When ripe, they’re hard and green. They’re picked at this stage, but aren’t edible until they’ve become half rotten or ‘bletted’, when they turn brown and soft.
What is black medlar?
L. Mespilus germanica, known as the medlar or common medlar, is a large shrub or small tree in the rose family Rosaceae. The fruit of this tree, also called medlar, has been cultivated since Roman times, and is unusual in being available in winter, and in being eaten when bletted.
What is bletting a medlar?
Medlar fruits, Mespilus germanica, are inedible when hard and can only be eaten once they have been allowed to ‘blet’. They are picked in late autumn and stored in a cool, dry place until about two weeks later they soften, become mushy and turn a darker brown. This process is known as ‘bletting’.
How do you harvest Medlars?
Harvesting Medlar Fruit Store them in a single layer on dry sand or paper, stalk upwards, somewhere cool and airy (it doesn’t have to be dark). It’s a good idea to dip the stalks in a strong salt solution to prevent moulds and rotting. Any time from a week to three weeks later, the fruit will have bletted.
How do you eat a medlar?
Once the medlar has been bletted it can be eaten raw, but it is an acquired taste. Mix its pulp with sugar and cream or eat plain, accompanied by port. Medlar fruit makes good fruit or jelly. Chop whole, bletted fruit and stew before straining and making in the usual way.
Can you eat medlar skin?
So the medlar remains a forgotten fruit. A ready fruit is dark brown, wrinkled and soft or mushy. They will ripen indoors on a plate, bottom end down. To eat raw, peel the stalk end, hold the crown and squish out the fruit.
What are medlars good for?
Health benefits The fruit, leaves and bark of the tree were also used in medicines for stomach complaints, and even today, medlar jelly is eaten alongside rich meats and thought to aid digestion.
Is medlar a quince?
A relative of the quince and hawthorn, the medlar (Mespilus germanica) makes an attractive tree of weeping habit with large white flowers. The fruit resembles a large, russety rose hip and is eaten when ‘bletted’, i.e. partially rotted.