Unusual - or at least forgotten by gardeners - fruits. Meet the medlar - a small tree in the rose family. I remember how we used to bring dark brown, soft, sweet fruits of medlar from the bazaar in Baku.
I've never seen it here - not in supermarkets, nor small farm stands, but I knew the right place for it in our orchard the moment I found the tree in the gardening catalog - yes, under unusual tree section. Picked at the end of November, the fruits are still hard, and must go through bletting (a fancy word for rotting) before they're good to eat. They can be eaten raw, used for jam, or even cheese! I've never tried to cook them but am quite determined to try this year - we have a fantastic crop from our 2 small trees.
Below are medlars going through the bletting process in the garage - dark and cool.
