Friday 29 September 2017

Season of Quinces and smelly uselessness.



Yup, it's that time of year again. the wheelbarrow is out and being filled with Quinces to be taken to the compost heap.

Lady Magnon has made Quince jelly and Membrillo, and now the rest will be chucked. I'll keep one or two for roasting with Pork, but otherwise.....


We've had a good crop of Apples, but so far they are not keeping too well. I don't suppose we'll have any left after mid-October; they seem to be rotting as soon as they're picked.

It's been a funny old year so far.




21 comments:

  1. Those apples look lush, it's a pity they don't store well.

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    Replies
    1. They all have bugs in them, I suppose that's the problem.

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  2. 'Lucky' you with your wheelbarrow of quinces! So far our neighbours haven't left any on our doorstep. I hope they don't. Though I would make a little membrillo.
    We're still trying to work out what to do with two huge bags of wine grapes with tough skins and huge pips

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    1. Send me your grapes, and I'll send you some Quinces!

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  3. Oh no Cro, it would pain me to consign those quinces to the compost heap. I would be making apple and quince cake to use up my apples as mine aren't keeping well either. They are developing brown spots so just as well I only picked two baskets from three trees - my worst year since the trees began cropping 15 years ago. My baby quince tree is yet to bear fruit, the plum was knocked for six by the minus 6 frost, thank goodness for "Fondante d'Automne" bearing lots of delicious pears.

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    1. Some years we have managed to keep Apples right through to the new year. I don't know why they should all be so short-lived this year. Yes, it's been a good year for Pears here too.

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  4. Apart from the quince jelly & membrillo do you ever slow bake quinces? My grandmother used to make quince dumplings which had a tart flavour which I loved as a child.

    Alphie

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    Replies
    1. I shall be roasting Quince quarters with a joint of Pork on Sunday; that's about the extent of it. Maybe I'll poach some too; it's such a shame to chuck them out. I'll have to look-up your Gran's Quince Dumplings, they sound good!

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  5. I only have a little flower garden and in the midst one Gravensteiner Apple tree. We got a lot of apples this year , September harvest, but unfortunately Gravensteiner apples can not be stored for a long time. So at least two apples a day for each family member and a lot of cooking with apples, confiture, chutney and spaghettis with apple slices, a recipe I found in an Italian cooking book. Quite good.Your apples look fine, and I love quinces. I buy some to make chutney which is delicious with cheese.

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    Replies
    1. We are eating a lot of Blackberry and Apple Crumbles at the moment.

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  6. In the next week or two we will be going to our local apple orchard to pick. I always get too many, and I hope they will last for a couple of weeks so I can use them all. I should get less but they all look so good and I always have big plans for them but some don't materialize.

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    1. We have a lot put away in boxes, but almost every day I have to go through them to throw out any that are rotting. I fear we will soon have none left.

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  7. Admittedly limited but some experience, home grown apples are awful.

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    1. Returning from my early morning walk, I scrumped a couple from a neighbour's tree. I think it's a 'Renette', and it was absolutely delicious. You're eating the wrong ones!

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  8. Somebody gave me a bag of Pink Lay apples from their tree here in the village - they were freshly picked and were delicious. I think the clue is in 'freshly picked'.
    I sometimes buy a jar of quince jelly but after my disastrous crab apple jelly a few years ago I have not tried anything like that again (went mouldy in about ten days).

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    Replies
    1. I tried to buy a Pink Lady/Kiss Apple tree last Autumn, but was told they were unavailable. I shall try again this autumn.

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  9. Make applesauce and freeze it for having with roast pork.

    Perhaps some could be sliced and frozen for using in tart?

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    Replies
    1. Lady Magnon has already half filled one of our freezers with Apple Sauce; I can't find anything any more (other than packs of sauce, of course).

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  10. A friend of mine gave me a jar of quince jam yesterday, made from the precious few 24 fruit she picked from her one bush. I told her of your glut destined for the compost heap, and she remarked on the unfairness of life. Still, I suppose it is all swings and roundabouts...

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    Replies
    1. Bok's favourite place to lie in the shade in beneath the Quince tree, with the regular dropping of 700 gm fruits, I think he may prefer being beneath one with just the 24.

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