Remember the medlars? A few days ago they looked like this: strange, mostly firm, ugly fruit resembling a cross between an apple and an enormous rosehip.
Medlar, medlar
I wrapped the fruit in brown paper and left it in the cool garage to blett (decompose, rot). Yesterday, I discovered that two of the medlars were thoroughly bletted and another two were starting to blett. Today, I attempted to photograph the bletting process but with limited success.
If you look closely and carefully, you may be able to see that the fruit on the left is bletted (looking shriveled and dark in colour), and so is the second fruit from the left. The third medlar is starting to blett (on its far surface) and the last medlar (that is the one to the right of the photo) is still unbletted.
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- Bletted
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- Bletting and Unbletted
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- Bletted and Bletted
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- Bletted, Bletting, Unbletted
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- Bletting
Now, isn’t that a lot of blither blather about bletting and bletted and not bletted and unbletting?
For this post, which is as much about the passage of time as decomposing medlars, I unwrapped my grandmother’s aged clock. Since the first big earthquake in 2010, which it miraculously survived, the clock has been tucked away amongst protective clothing in my dresser drawer. Today, I turned the key, and set the clock to tick- tick, tick- tick, tick- tick, happily, happily, for the first time in over 2 years. I am enjoying its company again, but I will probably put it away, come evening time. It is nearly a hundred years old and needs rest and care as much as anyone else of that vintage. It is too fragile now to be left exposed to the rigours of daily life on a table top.
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I think your grandmother’s clock is invaluable! It looks full of history. Looking forward to see what you do with the medlars!
The clock is very precious to me and, in a way, it is not really mine. I am just the present guardian. More on the medlars soon 🙂
I haven’t a clue what this post is about Gallivanta so I had bletter go 😉 Ralph xox 😀
But you had bletter come back for the next post or I will be sad 😦
Your grandmother’s clock is gorgeous 🙂 I’ve never heard of medlars or bletting, so this was a learning experience for me.
Thank you. I have some gorgeous teapots from my grandmother too. I have been trying to work out how to photograph them because I know you would enjoy those too.
same here…. anxious to see what Gallivanta is going to make with them 🙂
Gosh, I better get on with my medlar meddling and see what I come up with.
Lol 🙂
I love the old clock. Beautiful. And I can’t wait to see what you do with those medlars (even if you just eat them plain!)….xo
That post is coming up! I move slowly like the old clock so it may take a few more hours 🙂
This post is so interesting, I wonder how your jam will taste. Your grandmothers clock is so beautiful and precious.
I am glad I can share the beauty of my clock. I wonder how my medlar meddling in the kitchen will work out too.
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Annie
Thanks.
You always do your photos so lovely with the leaf, it looks so beautiful, I am sure you aoculd be a designer and design really lovely rooms, with beautiful matching things in it. Those medlars bletted quickly , I assumed it takes longer. I can see the difference. Wonder what miracles you do with them…. watching out for your next posts to show us! xx
Your words are so encouraging Ute. Generally I think I have a hopeless sense of design and colour, so it is lovely to have your perspective. The medlars are bletting faster than I thought but then I don’t know when they were picked. I am putting on my medlar cooking cap today, so we will see what happens next 🙂
Have fun! 🙂
I will.
So interesting and unusual!!! Great post!
Thank you.
I like the setting that you set the clock, the medlars and a leaf on the table.
I am glad you liked them together like that. Autumn leaves have such lovely colours.
Beautiful clock and interesting post! The fruit is new to me!
Thank you. The fruit is new to me too.
What a beautiful clock, you do right to look after it like a human! Glad to see the bletting is getting under way.
I would really love to have the clock ticking beside me all the time, as it used to do, but, at the moment, it just seems to precious to leave out in the open. The case is very unusual and seems to be made of some type of plaster of paris. I have taken it to a clock maker to have it appraised but he had never seen anything like it. And, although he admired its unusual and beautiful exterior he said it was not a good quality clock internally. It is a lovely oddity. 🙂
Wow, it must be rare, I’ll bet you’d love to know it’s origin. Maybe you could ask a specialist online clock expert? (if some such person exists)!
More than likely there is such a person 😉
Fascinating! I have much to learn, it seems! Love your documentation (and alliteration 😉 )
Thank you. It has been the sort of bleak, wet, cold day where a little silliness with words helps to make up for the lack of warmth and sunshine.
Well, blett my soul !!!
I feel that way too!
I have been waiting for this post!!! I can’t believe that I am seeing the “bletting process” unfold before my eyes. There is always excitement around your place!! 🙂
Yes! It’s one step up from watching the paint dry which would be very difficult to do today, anyway, because it’s raining, dare I say it, Vancouver style!
I love your clock – what a special heirloom. I love how you are giving it a rest, onw – time for her to retire and let someone else keep the time! 🙂
Yes, make those strange digital objects earn their living!
I have never seen fruit like this before but nice photos!
Thank you. I found it so hard to show the dramatic changes in the fruit. I have a little camera and the natural light today is almost absent because of winter rain.
that one photo with the fruit and the leaf is really pretty! i am curious as to why one bletts the fruit as well! your post made me think of turning that string of words into a dr. suess story!!!
The fruit is apparently inedible when it is firm and freshly harvested from the tree. It has to be allowed to rot/blett and become very soft before it is edible and flavourful. This is my first meeting with medlars outside books and cooking programmes so everything about them is strange and new to me. I am sure Dr Seuss would have had huge fun with medlars and bletting!
oh!
that gorgeous clock……
sometimes at museums we get as close as possible to vintage clocks just to hear them tick-tick-tock-tick
beautiful.
it must have been so scary in that earthquake – as if nothing ever would be safe again….
*hugs*
_teamgloria xx
Hugs appreciated. It’s a strange feeling (a little scary) having the clock ticking again.
can imagine……
and rather magical.
I could hear it ticking all night long; lovely lullaby.
medlars… is the first time I see this fruit either in picture… what are you planning do those fruit? I´m curious!!! would you please describe medlar taste? I don´t think I have chance to try here. wow that is a really old clock… is an antique!! Nice post 🙂
I am planning to make some jam. This fruit is new to me too. I will be able to tell you in my next post about the taste and hopefully how I prepared it.
you are so kind… thanks, I´m looking forward to see next post