Quince celebration - Cydonia oblonga

It was time to celebrate this week after noticing that our quince tree planted 5 years ago has finally produced its first fruit.  Quince, known scientificically as Cydonia oblonga, are native to Turkestan and Iran.  It's thought the Romans or Normans brought them to the UK, but the first record of the plant is from 1275 when King Edward I planted one at The Tower of London.

It shouldn’t be confused with the japanese quince - Chaenomeles speciosa - which although having apple-like fruit is a very different tree.  Choosing one for the garden can be complicated by the wide range available but ‘Meeches Prolific’ and ‘Vranja’ are two popular choices along with ‘Leskovac’ which requiring hotter temperatures should start to become more popular if we experience more summers such as 2025.  The problem with quinces in our climate is that they never fully ripen and so their use in the kitchen is restricted to recipes that involve cooking to soften the aromatic golden flesh.  They can transform an apple pie with their perfume but perhaps their most recommended use is in membrillo a Spanish fruit ‘cheese’ often served with Serrano ham and other dried meats.