# I have medlars **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [October 31, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942 "2010-10-31T00:43:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/1 "2010-10-31T00:43:10Z")
No, it’s not a medical condition. It’s a kind of [fruit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mespilus). I’ve wanted to try these for a long time, but never enjoyed the opportunity - until I visited an eco-themed attraction last week, where they had a deal to PYO fruit from their orchard, which happened to contain a medlar tree in heavy fruit. Now I just have to wait for them to start rotting, so I can eat them. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![may\_be\_ignorant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c5a1d2/32.png) [@may\_be\_ignorant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/may_be_ignorant)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/2 "2010-10-31T02:20:04Z")
eeeew. they look gross AND you eat them rotten. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/3 "2010-10-31T02:24:19Z")
Medlars? Red Slam? Ram Sled? Mrs. Deal? DLM Arse? DLM = Del Monte Foods Co. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/4 "2010-10-31T02:40:15Z")
There is a Breton proverb that goes “With time and straw, the medlars ripen,” meaning “be patient.” I don’t remember the Breton… “Gant plouz hag amzer e tarev ar mesper” or something like that. It means, essentially, “good things come to those who wait.” ETA1: They used to cover them in straw to rot / ripen. ETA2: Found part of the proverb in google, I think it’s right now. ---
**Author:** ![rowrrbazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rowrrbazzle/32/414_2.png) [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/5 "2010-10-31T02:50:30Z")
This may be the first time I’ve encountered the word “medlar” outside of the shepherds’ chorus in _Amahl and the Night Visitors_. > [@](#): > > Olives and quinces, apples and raisins, > Nutmeg and myrtle, medlars and chestnuts ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/6 "2010-10-31T08:24:25Z")
I saw a recipe for medlar wine once. Think I still have the book. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/7 "2010-10-31T09:33:08Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > No, it’s not a medical condition. It’s a kind of [fruit](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mespilus). I’m probably the only person on the Dope that actually thought it was a disease. I was hoping it wasn’t something you ate that caused the problem… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 11:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/8 "2010-10-31T11:06:56Z")
BTW, one of the common names for the fruit is _dog’s arse_ (because of the puckered appearance of the blossom end, not the flavour, I’m sure) ---
**Author:** ![blindboyard](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blindboyard/32/2833_2.png) [@blindboyard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blindboyard)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 12:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/9 "2010-10-31T12:30:55Z")
Apparently they make a very nice quince. ---
**Author:** ![Ruken](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f475e1/32.png) [@Ruken](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ruken)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/10 "2010-10-31T13:14:49Z")
> [@blindboyard](#): > > Apparently they make a very nice quince. Please explain. To me a [quince](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quince)is a fruit (or the plant that bears the fruit). ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/11 "2010-10-31T13:33:32Z")
I’m jealous – always wanted to try one… ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/12 "2010-10-31T13:37:59Z")
I will be sure to report on the experience… ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2010, 3:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/13 "2010-10-31T15:46:55Z")
I see why Mercutio calls them “open-arses.” ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/14 "2010-11-08T00:35:08Z")
I didn’t have to wait as long as I expected. A couple of them ripened this week - changing from hard, golden russet to wrinkled purple-brown and soft to the touch. I sliced them open - the flesh inside was a sort of tawny-brown paste containing five hard seeds. The flavour is like a combination of apple, pear and some sort of dried fruit like dates or figs. The texture is finely grainy and fairly dry - quite nice just eaten with a spoon, but they’re quite rich - I can’t imagine eating more than one at a sitting. They’re not pretty, but they’re alright, and it was well worth trying. Here’s a picture of the ripe, opened fruit: > **[ImageShack - Best place for all of your image hosting and image sharing needs](https://imageshack.com/)** > > Unlimited space to host images, easy to use image uploader, albums, photo hosting, sharing, dynamic image resizing on web and mobile. ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/15 "2010-11-08T06:26:04Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > The flavour is like a combination of apple, pear and some sort of dried fruit like dates or figs. The texture is finely grainy and fairly dry - quite nice just eaten with a spoon, but they’re quite rich - I can’t imagine eating more than one at a sitting. Neat! I love archaic plants. Or more like ‘forgotten’ plants. Those flavours sound perfect for autumn as well. ---
**Author:** ![Floater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/dc4da7/32.png) [@Floater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Floater)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/16 "2010-11-08T12:49:07Z")
When I saw the subject line I thought you meant [MEDLARS](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MEDLARS) and wondered how you could say you have it. ---
**Author:** ![EvilTOJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ee59a6/32.png) [@EvilTOJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EvilTOJ)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/17 "2010-11-08T15:42:13Z")
Well, he could have a computerized biomedical bibliographic retrieval system. That’s something to be proud of, I guess. I also thought you had a disease. Or possibly meddlers and you didn’t know how to spell it. The wiki says you can freeze them instead of waiting for them to rot too. Freezing bursts the cell walls and makes fruit really soft when it thaws. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/18 "2010-11-08T19:20:46Z")
I have a whole basket full of them, so I’ll try that. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/19 "2010-11-08T19:28:32Z")
I have never heard of these… when I saw the thread title, I thought it was one of those archaic disease names that are also used as normal words, like ‘shingles’. ---
**Author:** ![An\_Arky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/87869e/32.png) [@An\_Arky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/An_Arky)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2010, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-medlars/558942/20 "2010-11-08T19:30:33Z")
Learned a new word, I did…Bletting.