194. How would you describe . . .

. . . the taste of medlar fruit?

This year we had 2 fruit on our tree (2 more than last year so that is progress). The advice is not to pick them until they have suffered a frost and their decay has started!


So, we picked them after the first frost, and then waited a further ten days for the fruit to blett - ie rot further. This way they transform from hard, inedible fruit into something . . . well, at least edible.

The rotting fruit look fairly disgusting but Sarah was game, so I opened one up and scooped out some of the flesh with a teaspoon. It was brown and gooey, like well-rotten apple or pureed baby food.

I went first - obviously, the court jester to the Queen - and took a mouthful.

Quite tasty, sweet.

The Queen tried some. 'Tastes like baked apple, but sweeter.'

She'd nailed it; that's why she's the Queen.

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