The French call the medlar tree, cul de chien (translation: dog’s arse). Shakespeare called their fruits “open-arse”. And in a poem, DH Lawrence called medlars "autumnal excrementa". If you’re getting ...

Medlars look like a cross between a small apple and a rosehip; there are still a few trees knocking around and you do see imported medlars in specialist shops. Jelly and jam is about as much as you ...

The fruit jelly adds a sweet-sharp richness to gravies and roasts I am always looking for something to add interest to the pan juices from the Sunday roast. Something to introduce richness to a simple ...

The quaint, hopelessly crooked medlar tree was planted for the same reason I insisted on having a quince, a mulberry and a cobnut in the garden - I was taken by the romance and mystery of it. There is ...

Why East Anglian made medlar jelly and medlar cheese should make it onto your Christmas shopping list. It's fair to say autumn's medlars aren't the most attractive of fruits. Compared, say, to a plump ...

It’s a living medieval relic that had a fairly dubious following even in its heyday but which is now finding itself a niche in some modern gardens. Medlars originated in Transcaucasia. They’ve been ...

I don’t grow medlars (Mespilus germanica), but last week’s sight of Airfield Gardens’ gnarly old tree, its twisting branches heavily laden with these strangely medieval-looking fruits, has made me ...

This fabulous, jewel-like jelly is hard to be without over Christmas once you’ve tasted it: it goes with so much of the festive season’s offerings. Use semi-bletted fruit (or an equal mix of fruit ...