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Medlar Jelly

Medlars must be “bletted”, which involves storing them in a single layer in a rather cool place, not the refrigerator, until they are soft and brown inside. They’re ready when they are very soft and squishy to the touch.
  • 3 pounds (1.4kg) medlars, (bletted)
  • 1 green apple
  • 1/2 lemon
  • 3 cups (600g) sugar
  • Rinse and quarter the medlars, and put them in a large pot – skins, seeds, and all. Chop up the apple and add, with the seeds and core, as well. Then add the lemon half to the pot, and pour in enough water so that the medlars are floating in liquid, about 2 quarts (2l).
  • Cook the mixture until it begins to boil, then reduce the heat and let it cook at a low boil for 45 minutes.
  • Line a colander with several layers of cheesecloth or gauze, set it over a deep bowl, and ladle the cooked medlars and the liquid into the colander. Let it strain overnight undisturbed. Do not press down on the cooked fruit to extract more juice from it or your jelly will be cloudy. (It’s very tempting, but resist.)
  • The next day pour the liquid into a large pot – you should have about 1 quart (1l). Put a small plate in the freezer. Add the sugar to the juice in the pot and cook the jelly until it reaches 220ºF (104ºC) or until it jells, which may happen a little before or after that temperature. To test the jelly, put a spoonful on the plate in the freezer and let chill a few minutes. If, once cold, it wrinkles when you push it with your finger, it’s done. If not, continue to cook the jelly until it jells. When ready, if you wish, you can offset sweetness with a few drops of fresh lemon juice.
  • Ladle the jelly into clean jars.

Notes

The jelly will keep for up to one year in the refrigerator.
Notes: Some say you can save the medlar pulp and turn it into medlar and apple chutney. It’s rather messy and there are lots of little seeds in it to pluck out. But if you’re the industrious type, that’s an option.
I added the apple because some say medlars don’t have enough pectin. I don’t use store-bought pectin in jam-making, but some people do. Next time I might add a quince instead.
Medlars are kind of oddities and I’ve read a few diverse recipes, as noted. However it seems that the jelling qualities can vary, so you may also want to scan some of the recipes I linked to in the post, and below, because there are a few methods and you might want to adapt your own.
For notes and methods on canning preserves, visit the USDA website.