Salvaging a disaster

[Walker570]

I made up some medlar jelly two days ago and added a bit extra Bramley apple to the mixwhich has lots of pectin and fast boiled up to 220 and the JAM mark on my jam thermometer.

It didn't set.    Not wishing to waste it I purchased a cheap bottle of whisky and a cheap bottle of vodka and added  about half a pint of the mix to each.  The whisky came out the best although the vodka was nice. Will try both of them as additive to some Prosecco.  I will certainly be doing the same with the rest of the non setting jelly mix so nothing wasted.  I think I will try a bottle of brandy as well. 

That is all the medlars processed this year. The jam I made set well done in exactly the same way.

Edited December 12, 2022 by Walker570

[Goldfish]

I have a mate that does brandy with medlar and cinnamon, supposed to complement the apple flavours,  it is lovely in a hip flask for freezing mornings and also warm evenings by the fire side.

Do you grow them or do you have a time machine as I don't know anybody who grows them since the 9th century 😆

The nick name was the "open ars3 fruit", now thats a fruit deserving of a come back 😎

What does the jam taste of, how do you use it?

Edited December 12, 2022 by Goldfish

[Walker570]

I planted the tree in our orchard about 4yrs ago and this was the first year it had produced sufficient to harvest.  Everyone says it is a messy job to use the fruit but I have not found that. You let them blet/ripen and when soft to touch put them in a jame kettle and crush them with about a couple of pints of water. Cook them as you would for any fruit for jam.   The jam has a very aromatic apple taste and is excellent with pork almost like apple sauce or you can just yse it as jam. Will try making a jam tart sometime to see how that comes out.  As said the jam set well but for some reason the jelly didn't so back to the drawing board next October.

The small village of Linton near Swadlincote/Burton on Trent has a small orchard open to the residents, with seats for elderly to rest and enjoy. That orchard has a medlar as well and I noticed the fruit vanished so someone else is using them.