The Mighty Medlar
The much maligned fruit that packs a punch
The Medlar suffers an image problem, that is undeniable. In France it is known as the Cul de Chien – look it up – while in the UK it is sometimes referred to as Monkey’s Bottom. Its treatment throughout history has been equally unkind: Chaucer likened the Medlar’s wizened skin to that of an ancient person and Shakespeare regularly used the fruit as a symbol of ugliness or being rotten.
All of which makes Jane Steward’s championing of the maligned fruit all the more fascinating. Jane’s book ‘Medlar, Growing and Cooking’, has just been published and is available globally. The book is the ultimate homage to the fruit outlining its history, explaining its growing process, highlighting its nutritional value and offering a wide range of recipes from both the author and guest chefs.
However, it is Jane’s creation and development of a successful business selling medlar products that are grown, processed and marketed by the energetic Medlar Magician, that is really the story here. She is the owner and driving power behind Eastgate Larder, a Norfolk-based company selling Medlar Jelly, Medlar Chutney and Medlar Gin Liqueur.
‘When we moved to the county, we were lucky enough to find a house with a six-acre orchard. Historically, the land had been home to an orchard of soft fruit trees at the time of the first world war. Little did I know that we were effectively going to re-establish a fruit farm with our Medlar business.’
Listen to the full interview with Jane Steward here.
Acknowledging the history of the medlar, but also the more general history of our food culture, Jane says: ‘I think the future of our food system should include a lot of looking over our shoulder at what worked differently and better: differently because it engaged more people from the local community; better because of the nutrients left in the soil and also because, as consumers, we were more aware of where our food came from and, through it, we might have enjoyed better health.’
Health is something that occupies Jane’s thoughts a lot. In 2015 she was diagnosed with early stages of bowel cancer and puts her recovery, indeed her very survival, down to better nutrition and the well-being associated with being outside and working in her growing Medlar orchard.
‘The physical stages of recovering from cancer were relatively easy but the mental challenge of being diagnosed felt like the equivalent of being clipped round the head with a heavy object. I knew that the brain and gut are connected, so having something removed from my gut was going to have an impact on my brain. Having understood that, I surrendered to it and allowed the garden being a place of safety.’
Jane explains how she used gardening as a tool to recovery: ‘As I was gardening and pulling weeds, every time I pulled a weed from the ground, it was as if I was pulling out a cancer cell. I would say to myself as I pulled out the roots, “goodbye cancer cell”. It sounds weird but it is what worked for me at that time.’
Creating Eastgate Larder has been a family collaboration. Husband David has a passion and knowledge about trees and gave Jane invaluable advice on the management of her Medlar orchard, which now numbers 115 trees. One of her daughters is a brand specialist and she advised on the design of the jars – straight sides so jelly or chutney doesn’t get stuck in the corners – and another daughter can take the credit for Jane working with Medlars rather than any other fruit.
‘She said to me, “Mum, it’s clear you love Medlars and there is no-one else doing it. Don’t go into competition with the other producers, do something completely different.” My business brain told me this was the right thing to do.’
At that point no-one knew what a Medlar was and certainly no-one was doing anything with them.
At first glance, a lack of interest in the Medlar as a culinary item is understandable. It is a brown, wrinkled fruit that has to be harvested at just the right time. Too early and it is rock hard and bitter; too late and it is soft and appears rotten. To get it just right, Jane explains that the fruit needs to be picked while approaching ripeness, then stored to finish ripening to the exactly right stage – a process known as ‘bletting’ – and then it is ready for turning into chutney, jelly or eaten raw. It’s taste is similar to apple sauce with a spritz finish. Some people liken the taste to that of figs.
When you look more closely, the attraction of the Medlar starts to become apparent. As a food it has the properties of a super food. Medlar fruits are rich in potassium, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium and iron. As Jane says: ‘By introducing Medlar into your diet, you are adding micro-biodiversity into your diet.’
At the same time, the plant itself is an easy companion. It thrives on most soil types and survives climatic incidents like the drought of 2022. It is also an attractive addition to the garden or orchard with long white flowers and glossy leaves.
The first trees Jane planted are now ‘teenagers’ and she says: ‘are really undemanding’. In the first few years she had to limit how many fruit she allowed the trees to produce because they need time to get their roots established. Now she is collecting 900 kilos of fruit annually.
Just how deeply Jane cares about the Medlar is best summed up in her own words: ‘I wanted to grow something that I could care for and protect but not worry about.’ The fact she also holds the only National Collection of Medlar also indicates her level of commitment to Mespilus Germanica.
Considering the amount of time and effort that goes into producing just a small jar of medlar jelly, it is a surprise to discover that Jane does most of the work herself, from picking, pruning, processing and packaging.
‘There is something about communing among trees that is good for the soul,’ says Jane. ‘And I have some good friends and neighbours who will turn out to help if they can, but I plan the work based on the assumption that I will be doing all the work.’
The soil is key to the success of Eastgate Larder. ‘It is my first, second and third thought every morning when I wake up,’ says Jane. ‘We produce our own compost and I take a deep interest in how I can improve my soil health.’
It hasn’t all been plain sailing. In the process of refining her recipes, Jane has had jelly that will never set and jelly that is more like a rubber tyre. She says she is constantly learning and constantly looking at ways she can develop both the range and quality. Some of this is done in collaboration, such as the Medlar Gin Liqueur, made with the support of the team at Norfolk Gin, or the 15-mile Medlar Jelly that pairs with locally produced charcuterie and cheese. A spicy Medlar chutney is a current favourite among regular customers.
For anyone intrigued about using Medlar in recipes, Jane’s book, Medlar: Growing and Cooking really tells you all you need to know. ‘I’ve tried to cover everything from the nutritional dimension to the history of Medlars. There are also stacks of recipes from some really well-known and talented chefs. In have also looked in some depth at the soils needed for successful growing and how Medlars grow across the world.
‘This is the first book on the subject. The Medlar has a huge image problem. It is a brown fruit. It isn’t beautiful. The colour suggests it should be heading to a compost heap not into our stomach. We need to rewire our brains to appreciate things that look slightly out of the ordinary.’
Listen to the full interview on the Farming Social Hub’s Farming with Nature podcast