medlar
Fruit needing decay
A medlar is a small tree native to Europe and Asia, or its unusual fruit.
The fruit resembles a brown, open-cupped apple and is only edible after frost or prolonged storage softens it—a process called bletting.
The flavor is often compared to apple butter or wine.
The medlars are finally ready to eat after sitting in the shed for three weeks.
Fruit with seedy core
- loquatAsian stone fruit
- quinceAromatic pome for cooking
- hawthornThorny berry-bearing shrub
- rosaceaePlant family, often thorny
orchard · preserves · jelly · jam · russet · brown · flesh · seeds
Of the Middle Ages
- forgottenNo longer recalled
- heirloomInherited family treasure
- antiquatedOld and outdated
- ShakespeareElizabethan dramatist and poet
Chaucer · monastery · Tudor · Victorian · heritage · revival · rare · obscure
Thin ice coating
- softeningBecoming less firm
- ripeningBecoming ready to eat
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
- mellowingGradually becoming softer
aging · maturation · sweetening · decay · transformation · readiness · patience · wrinkled
Cooked fruit spread
- jellyFruit spread, no seeds
- cheeseFermented milk solid
- preserveProtect from loss
- compoteFruit cooked in syrup
tart · paste · butter · wine · liqueur · dessert · confection · sugar
Tissue-contracting agent
- tanninsAstringent plant compounds
- tartSharp-flavored small pie
- sweetTasting of sugar
- wineyResembling fermented grapes
apple · pear · date · cinnamon · earthy · complex · mellow · rich
pome
Fruit with seedy core
rosaceae · orchard · preserves · jelly · jam · russet · brown · flesh · seeds · calyx
medieval
Of the Middle Ages
- forgottenNo longer recalled
- heirloomInherited family treasure
- antiquatedOld and outdated
Shakespeare · Chaucer · monastery · Tudor · Victorian · heritage · revival · rare · obscure · curiosity
frost
Thin ice coating
- softeningBecoming less firm
- ripeningBecoming ready to eat
- fermentationMicrobial sugar conversion
mellowing · aging · maturation · sweetening · decay · transformation · readiness · patience · wrinkled · mushy
jam
Cooked fruit spread
compote · tart · paste · butter · wine · liqueur · dessert · confection · sugar · honey
astringent
Tissue-contracting agent
winey · apple · pear · date · cinnamon · earthy · complex · mellow · rich · aromatic
deciduous
Sheds foliage seasonally
rootstock · branches · bark · canopy · sapling · ornamental · specimen · blossom · white · spring
harvest
Gathering mature crops
frost · chill · leaves · amber · gold · brown · seasonal · thanksgiving · cider · late