QUINCE FRUIT: QUINCE LEGENDS: QUINCE HEALTH BENEFITS, USES AND HISTORY: PICKLED QUINCES RECIPE

QUINCE (CYDONIA VUGARIS)

The quince seems to cause some confusion, so let me say here that we are writing about the quince which is a fruit, originating in the Caucasus region and Iran, where it still grows wild. Its Latin name was Pryus cydonia, but it is now known by the Latin name Cydonia vulgaris. There is a shrub called japonica or Japanese or flowering quince in English, but this is Chaemomeles speciosa in Latin and not to be confused.

  Quinces look a little like pears but are hard and have a dry, sour, astringent taste when eaten raw. They are best cooked and known as ideal fruit for making jellies and marmalade. They have a high pectin content, especially the seeds, so ideal for these purposes. Quince jelly is a dark orange or brown colour and made in Greece and Portugal. They also make wonderful preserves of quince in these two countries. In Iran and the Middle East quinces are used with meat for example in the tagine dishes of Morocco they go well with lamb.

quince jelly

   Scholars believe that quinces were in fact the “golden apples” which were the fruit of the Forbidden tree in the Garden of Eden and the ones that Atalanta found so enchanting in Virgil’s work. It is believed that Paris gave Aphrodite a quince and it is considered to be her fruit and that of her Roman counterpart, Venus. She is often depicted with one in her right hand. Some wall-paintings and mosaics in Pompeii have a bear holding a quince in its paw. Plutarch mentions quinces as being shared by a bride and groom in the bridal chamber, and the ancient Greeks threw them into bridal chariots. The bride would nibble on one to sweeten her breath before entering the bedroom. The best variety of the ancient world reputedly came from the Greek city of Cydonia which was on the north coast of Crete and is now Chania. Quinces are still cultivated in the area.

They became symbols of love and fertility in the Middle Ages when they were also served at wedding feasts.

   Edward Lear the British nonsense rhyme poet lived for years in Greece and perhaps that’s why in his rhyme “The Owl and the Pussy Cat” the unlikely honeymooners “dined on mince and slices of quince.” Peter Quince was one of the rustics in Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”, so quinces were known in Britain in the 17^th century.

   You can actually eat some quinces raw, but if you do you should sprinkle them with lemon juice as the react badly to the air just like avocados and go brown quickly.

   They are filled with vitamin C and antioxidants so they help the body absorb calcium and iron and fight free radicals which damage the cells and also help protect against some cancers. They contain the minerals calcium, iron, copper, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, and the B-complex vitamins, niacin (B3), vitamin B6, and Folate (B9).The syrup made from the fruit is useful for diarrhea, and a decoction of the seeds is used in traditional medicine to help in cases of dysentery, and gonorrhea. It is thought that they may have potent anti-viral properties and be beneficial for gastric ulcers. The juice is a tonic, antiseptic astringent and diuretic. It aids digestion and lowers cholesterol if you eat quinces and drink the juice regularly. The potassium contained in them helps to regulate high blood pressure. The antioxidants help control your stress levels and the fruit is good for anaemia sufferers, and for asthma and cardiovascular disease. In Peru quinces are given to people suffering from altitude sickness and vomiting.

PICKLED QUINCES

Ingredients

3 medium-sized quinces,

750 ml cider vinegar

400 gr sugar

12 juniper berries

8-10 black peppercorns

1 bay leaf torn

Method

Pour the vinegar into a stainless steel pan with the sugar, juniper berries, black peppercorns and bay leaf, and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and let it simmer while you peel core and halve the quinces. Cut them into 5 pieces lengthways and then lower them carefully into the pan. Cook for 20 – 25 mins or until the quince pieces can be easily pierced with a skewer.

Remove the pan from the heat, lift out the pieces of fruit and put them into clean storage jars. Cover them with the liquid, seal and allow to cool.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

KUMQUATS: KUMQUATS HEALTH BENEFITS, USES AND HISTORY: HOW TO MAKE KUMQUAT TISANE

KUMQUATS (FORTUNELLA JAPONICA)

Kumquats come into their own around Christmas time, when they are frequently preserved in brandy or pickled. You can eat them raw, skins too although they have a tart flavour.You can also find candied kumquats. They are believed to be native to China, as there are references to their cultivation in manuscripts dating back to 1176 AD.

   They were brought back from China to London by a plant explorer, Robert Fortune, a Scot who was employed by the Royal Horticultural Society, in 1846. He brought back the Nagumi variety which is the one most often cultivated in the sunnier states of the USA. They have been grown in pots and in greenhouses as ornamental plants, as well as eventually for their fruits since the mid 19^th century, when all things “exotic” were swooped upon by the fashionable gentry in Britain and the US.

   Their Chinese name means “gold orange” and the trees are bought as New Year gifts to symbolize good luck in male-female relationships. They are also good luck symbols and in Japan bonsai kumquat trees are given as gifts at New Year.

   At first they were classified as Citrus but Dr. Walter T. Swingle transferred them to the Fortunella category in 1915 in honour of Robert Fortune. There are moves to remove them to the Citrus group once again though, as they are citrus fruits.

   Kumquats can rarely be grown successfully from seed, as they do not grow good firm roots. Instead they are grafted onto citrus root stocks, such as lemons. When you see them in the shops around Christmas time they usually have their leaves attached, a sign of the festive season, rather like mistletoe, holly and other evergreen sprays, a throwback to our pagan past when we celebrated the winter solstice quite differently.

   They are high in vitamins and trace elements, and contain many of the B-complex vitamins as well as Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids. They are high in potassium and vitamin C and are good to cure colds. They are believed to be useful to heal wounds, for general oral health, and they boost the immune system and improve general health, with the vitamin C promoting the absorption of calcium and iron by the body. They can protect the cardiovascular system and reduce the pain in arthritic joints.

  You can make a hot drink with kumquats which is good for getting rid of a cold. Wash 10 kumquats and cut them in half. Squeeze the juice out of them into a teapot, add the halves and pour boiling water over them. Let the kumquats steep for 5 mins, covered and drink, sweetened with honey or gur (jaggery).

BRANDIED KUMQUATS

Ingredients

1 lb kumquats

¾ lb sugar

brandy

Method

Layer the kumquats and sugar in a Kilner or Mason jar and cover them with brandy, leaving 1” at the top of the jar. Seal the jar and turn it upside-down once a day for a week to move the sugar which sinks to the bottom. Put the jar back in its original upright position each time.

   After a week you can leave it for two months in a cool dark place and serve with amoretti biscuits and cream.

This has Taste and is a Treat.

WHAT IS JAMALGOTA? CROTON TIGLIUM: A POWERFUL LAXATIVE AND BIO - FUEL

JAMALGOTA, CROTON TIGLIUM AND JATROPHA CURCA(S)

Jamalgota is the Urdu name for the medicine from the two plants, Croton tiglium and Jatropha curca or curcas. The crushed leaves of jamalgota, Croton tiglium, are mainly used as a laxative for very persistent constipation, and are one of the most potent laxatives known to man. Croton tiglium is native to Pakistan, India, New Guinea, Indonesia and China and grow wild all over the Philippines. Traditional healers use this plant for many purposes, but they have knowledge which the layman does not have and know the doses and mixtures which make plants health giving rather than deadly. Four seeds of Croton tiglium can kill an adult, and 15 will kill a horse.

 These hakims or healers use the plant for treating gastroenteritis, throat problems, for abortions, eczema and mastitis. Applied externally, the crushed leaves which are the laxative part of the plant are applied to snake bites. The oil from jamalgota contains an insecticide and is a skin irritant.

   The oil from Jatropha Curcas is used to get rid of cancerous skin growths. However it can also contribute to them. The latex from this plant contains the alkaloid jatrophine which is being investigated for its possible anti-cancer properties. It is applied on the skin to cure various diseases and as a treatment for rheumatism. The twigs from the plant are used to clean the teeth, and the root juice to treat piles. The roots of Jatropha curcas are used to treat snake bites. 

The bark produces a dark-blue dye. The tusser silkworm is rather partial to its leaves, apparently. The fruit and wood from this tree is used as fuel.

      The oil cannot be used as a food until it goes through an expensive detoxification process so it is an ideal candidate for making bio-fuel. It was used in Madagascar, Benin and Cape Verde as fuel during the Second World War. Now it is cultivated as an oil crop in South America and elsewhere, and the by-products can be made into high quality paper, soap, cosmetics, toothpaste and embalming fluid. It can also be found in cough medicines and is used as a moistener in tobacco. After the oil has been extracted the seed cake can also be used as fertilizer. Because the seed contains 25-30% oil, and the kernel between 50 and 60% oil it makes the plant ideal for producing bio-fuel. It is an oleic-linoleic oil as it consists of 42.8% oleic acid and 32.8% linoleic acid. There are plans to cultivate the plants in Pakistan for bio-fuel as exporting and using it domestically would be very beneficial to the economy.

 

CRANBERRIES: KARONDA ( VACCINIUM OXYCOCCUS): HOW TO MAKE CRANBERRY SAUCE

 CRANBERRIES, KARONDA (VACCINIUM OXYCOCCUS)

Cranberries, the red berries used in sauces as accompaniments to Thanksgiving and Christmas turkeys are not the same as the European cranberry which is in fact the Guelder rose (Viburnum opulus) whose berries are not edible.

   The cranberry is native to North America and was highly prized by the Native Americans for its health properties long before the arrival of the Pilgrim Fathers. In some tribes it was a symbol of peace too. The Native Americans recognized the berry’s astringent qualities and used them in poultices to heal wounds. They have anti-bacterial qualities and are anti-asthmatic and diuretic. They are well-known for treating urinary tract infections such as cystitis and contain the anti-inflammatory substance, quercetin and proanthocyanidins which prevent bacteria sticking to the cells of the urinary tract and gut. Thus they help flush out bacteria such as E.coli in urine; they are diuretic. They also contain a potent vasodilator which opens up the bronchial tubes making them effective in the treatment of asthma. Cranberries also contain myricetin a flavonoid which is thought to have the ability to lower the risk of male prostate cancer.

   Cranberries are high in vitamin C which boosts the immune system and aids the body in its absorption of calcium. They are used in traditional or homeopathic medicine to help in the treatment of blood, and liver disorders and stomach problems. They contain antioxidants which combat the free radicals in our body which can cause cancer.

   These little red berries are the official state fruit of Wisconsin where they are cultivated. They are the number one fruit crop of the state harvested in early autumn in time to supply the Thanksgiving tables of America and the Christmas tables of the rest of the world .The US and Canada supply almost 98% of the world’s cranberries.

   The colonists found that the cranberry was useful to preserve meat during the winter as it contains benzoic acid, and the tart berries were utilized for this purpose. General Ulysses S. Grant famously ordered cranberry sauce to be served to his troops during the siege of Petersburg in 1864, and they were first canned commercially in 1912. They are called bounceberries and bearberries in the US, as when dropped the ripe berries bounce and it seems that bears are rather partial to them.

   If you add sugar to these berries when cooking them this will cancel out their anti-bacterial effects. So if you are intending to use them as a medicine use the leaves of sweet cicely or stevia instead of sugar.

   If you eat cranberries or drink the juice, and eat plenty of pomegranates and pumpkin this winter, as a male you will be doing a lot to decrease your risk of prostate cancer. Try the traditional recipe for cranberry sauce, using leaves instead of sugar. You can add a fruity red wine or brandy to this if you wish, or raisins which will counteract the tartness of the fruit.

CRANBERRY SAUCE

Ingredients

12 oz cranberries, washed and topped and tailed

1 cup water

1 handful of sweet cicely leaves, finely shredded

1 stick cinnamon or a few allspice berries or ¼ tsp grated nutmeg (optional)

Method

Put water in a pan and bring to the boil. Add the cranberries and leaves and bring to the boil again then lower the heat and simmer for 10 mins or until the cranberries burst. Add the optional spice if you are using them and simmer for a further 5 mins.

Remove from the heat and allow to cool to room temperature, then chill in the fridge until ready to serve with your turkey.

This has Taste and is a Treat.