Tree following October 2017 - getting chubby

Oh the joys of writing about an actual quince, after all these years of waiting: to not only have a quince, but then I get to watch it develop and ripen.

Well, I say ripen, here's the rub.  People keep asking me when I will pick it, when will it be ripe?  Well how would I know!  It is my first!  So I turned to the oracle (RHS website) which tells me that:

"Fruit are ready to harvest in October or Novemberwhen they have turned from a light yellow to a golden colour and are extremely aromatic. Only pick undamaged quinces, storing them in a cool, dry and dark place on shallow trays."  RHS

This gave me comfort as I can see that the quince is now changing.  At first I thought it had reached a stage and was not going to get any bigger.
But now, as I check in on it frequently, I can see that it is getting rather chubby.  It is developing middle-aged spread and has what is best described as 'girth'.
It is definitely getting rounder.
Now when I do pick it, what am I going to do with it?  Now there is a question for another time......

........ but remember that episode of the Great British Bake Off where a contestant gilded a pear?


Thanks as ever to SquirrelBasket, the guardian of the followed trees.

Comments

  1. Such fun, I have read already so much about your quince tree and then finaly your reward, a quince .......so good to learn and see.

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    1. Thanks- it feels like it’s been quite a journey!

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  2. Dear Alison
    Quince goes beautifully with apples in a crumble or pie - it seems to bring out the flavour of the apple and adds a delicate 'perfume' to it too. Otherwise, I have seen people bring quinces in, leave them in a bowl and let them scent the room...perhaps next year? Gilding sounds good too!
    Best wishes
    Ellie

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    1. Oh now that’s a good idea & I have a great cooking apple tree - thanks x

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  3. Here quinces are only used to make marmalade och jelly.

    How would it taste to fry quinces in butter, maybe with some spices?

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  4. this is getting really exciting. Good luck you'll be eating it in jam etc soon

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  5. Ooh, keep a close eye on it! I was so excited to see I had 4 quinces this year (my biggest haul so far) and watched as they slowly turned from green to just turning yellow. Few more days I thought, then the next thing they'd started to go brown and mushy. I think the rain had split the fruit and damaged it. :( Ah well, there's always next year.

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  6. How exciting! Maybe a tiny jar of jam?!

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  7. You are fortunate indeed! I had a quince. I had been watching it like a hawk then I went away for the weekend, and when I got back it had gone! Do you think there's a quince-snaffler in Norfolk?

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    1. What! quince-theft has to be the highest of penalties! (its wasn't me - promise.... )

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  8. We have a quince tree that is very prolific in fact the variety is Meeches Prolific. Our fruit are more pear shaped than yours. We picked all our fruit this month. We stew it and use as you would apples, you can combine with apples too if you prefer.

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  9. It's looking so good - but you must do something really special with it - and take pictures! Perhaps you could pipe it in on a velvet cushion like they do with haggis.
    All the best :)

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