Kalkan Turkey Forum - EnjoyKalkan.com

The Owners Lounge => Living In Kalkan => Topic started by: Mrs Enjoy Kalkan on April 30, 2008, 11:08:16 PM

Title: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: Mrs Enjoy Kalkan on April 30, 2008, 11:08:16 PM

This may seem like a silly question but it is something that has been bugging me for a while. Can anyone tell me what the fruit on this tree is ? We have one near our garden in Club Patara and whilst we were in Kalkan last week I saw lots of people picking them off and eating them. One of our Turkish friends also explained that they only bear fruit for a couple of weeks a year usually in April. I did try one out of curiosity and they tasted a bit like a plum.

(https://www.enjoykalkan.com/mypix/plant.jpg)

Thanks

Julie xx

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: Mercimek on May 01, 2008, 06:21:50 AM

I have always known them to be Nispero- that is what my greengrocer in UK introduced them as
http://www.costablanca-netguide.com/articles/nispero-trees.html

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: kevincat99 on May 01, 2008, 06:45:53 AM

Here in Turkey they call the Mushmalla [not sure how you spell it though :D] but that is how it is pronounced

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: felicity on May 01, 2008, 07:55:15 AM

I agree with kevincat - it is musmula (''s'' with a squiggle underneath) which is a medlar fruit native to the middle eastern area - we had this debate 2 weeks ago in kalkan - to me it tasted more like a pear than a plum but looked quite like a plum or mini apple/pear..!!  It has huge brown pips and is slightly bitter but was quite nice and interesting different taste...!! 

From Wikipedia -
Medlars are deciduous large shrubs or small trees growing up to 8 m tall. The leaves are dark green and elliptic, six to fifteen centimetres long and three to four centimetres wide. The leaves turn a spectacular red in autumn before falling. The five-petalled white flowers are produced in late spring. The fruit is a pome, two to three centimetres in diameter, with wide-spreading persistent sepals giving a "hollow" appearance to the fruit; it is matte brown in M. germanica and glossy red in M. canescens.

Medlar fruit are very hard and acidic. They become edible after being softened ("bletted") by frost, or naturally in storage given sufficient time. Once softening begins, the skin rapidly takes a wrinkled texture and turns dark brown, and the inside reduces to a consistency and flavour reminiscent of apple sauce. They can then be eaten raw, often consumed with cheese as a dessert, although they are also used to make medlar jelly and wine. Another dish is "medlar cheese", which is similar to lemon curd, being made with the fruit pulp, eggs, and butter.

The medlar is native to Persia and has an ancient history of cultivation; it was grown by the ancient Greeks and Romans, beginning in the 2nd century BCE. The medlar was a very popular fruit during the Victorian era; however, it is now a rarely appreciated fruit, except in certain areas, such as the north of Iran.

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: Brooksie on May 01, 2008, 09:05:18 AM

Club Patara looks good for a scrumping mission!

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: Enjoy Kalkan on May 01, 2008, 09:07:28 AM

Fancy doing a bit of painting for me while your there then Brooksie  :D

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: Mrs Enjoy Kalkan on May 01, 2008, 06:44:47 PM

Thanks for that mystery solved. I must admit I found them a bit bitter but they probably needed to ripen a bit.

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: Brooksie on May 02, 2008, 10:22:03 AM

What would you like me to paint Jon?

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: doug46b on May 02, 2008, 07:15:00 PM

Last week whilst lying by the pool (as you do) . The guy who built our property started cutting down a tree next to the pool. I asked him why!! He replied too much shade. After a while he became very HOT. He then walked away and came back with his hands full.  He came over and gave us  all a strange fruit. Yes Musmula and it tasted 
sooo nice. I would say a cross between a peach and a nectarine. Pity it only lasts for a few weeks..

Title: Re: Question for all you gardening enthusiasts !
Post by: Cosetta on May 15, 2008, 01:10:06 PM

we have this tree and these fruits.  I know them as loquats.  You can look them up on Google images.