Streetwise…
These little fruits were on the streets in my neighborhood falling to the ground and creating a “painting” of dusty orange colour…. To be honest I thought they were wild and not edible. I soon found out I can make a jam… So I decided to experiment making my own medlar jam, adding some apples and cinnamon… The taste of this seasonal jam is beyond description.
Medlar and Apple Jam
Ingredients
1½ kg medlars, washed, peeled and chopped
1 kg sugar
2 green apples, washed, peeled and cored
½ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cinnamon stick
Method
1. Clean medlars by removing all stalks and leaves. Peel and chop into small pieces, making sure to discard any bits that might seem to be more than a little off (i.e. are obviously rotten). Pour the lemon juice over the medlars and let stand for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, wash, peel and core the apples.
2. In a heavy and deep sauce pan combine the medlars, apples, sugar, and cinnamon stick. Bring to a boil over a medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat and simmer; for 20 to 30 minutes.
3. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to stand overnight, covered with a clean tea cloth.
4. The next day place the mixture on the stove and again bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer, until the mixture thickens and becomes jam — halfway through however, while on the way to thickening into jam, add the vanilla and remove and discard the cinnamon stick.
5. When the jam is sufficiently thickened remove from the heat and transfer the jam to clean and sterilized jars. (Note: See page 46 of Sandra Loves, “The Sterilizing of Jars and the Preserving Process” for how to sterilize jars.)