A TREE laden with yellow quinces is an uplifting sight on a
sunny October day. They went out of fashion in the mid-20th
century, leading Vita Sackville-West to ask, after seeing them
growing wild in France: "Why don't we plant it in our gardens here,
as our grandfathers did?"
To support her plea, she cited ease of cultivation; reliable
crops for turning into jelly, marmalade, or cheese, or making "all
the difference" to apple dishes; and the beauty of the flowers in
May. I would add that those flowers are a good source of pollen and
nectar for honeybees, and the leaves turn a gorgeous yellow in
autumn. Vita advocates no pruning, while I would dare to suggest
some formative cuts in the first few years of a tree's life, to
form an open cup shape with four or five main branches.
The quince's popularity is in the ascendant once again, but we
need to understand its heritage. Cydonia oblonga is native
to central and south-western Asia. The Latin name is derived from
Cydon, the ancient name for Khania, on Crete, where the quince was
probably imported. The fruit was dedicated to Aphrodite, and
symbolised love.
In the sixth century, the Athenian statesman Solon introduced
quince into the ritual of marriage: bride and bridegroom were shut
in a chamber to eat a raw quince together. We are more familiar
with the fruit used in stews and preserves. It adds a lovely
fragrant quality to a Moroccan tajine, and the word "marmalade" is
derived from the Portuguese for quince, marmelo, although
citrus fruits tend to be the main constituent of this conserve
today. Throughout the Middle East and around the Mediterranean
basin, however, there are situations where quince is enjoyed
raw.
It is tempting to think that the long hot summers that go with a
Continental or Mediterranean climate are the important factor here,
but that is not the whole story. During its migration from its
homeland, selections of quince with particular characteristics will
have been made in order for different communities with different
growing conditions to reap the most reward from this ancient
fruit.
Given our desire for sweeteners in cooking, it is no surprise
that varieties that ripen freely have been deliberately selected
and perpetuated. But, until fairly recently, the cultivars
available to a British gardener were limited. Now, thanks to freer
trade, and nurseries such as Keepers, in Kent, and Reads, in
Suffolk, we have a lot more choice.
The cultivar "Aromatnaya", selected at the research station at
Krymsk, in northern Caucasus, cooks as well as other varieties, but
can be eaten like a pear. I planted a five-foot tree with no
branches in February 2012. Now it proudly displays five fruits,
with the characteristic pale down, but smoother and rounder than an
average quince.
I welcome the return of this venerable fruit. I have even
spotted the knobbly produce in Waitrose - but grow your own if you
can.
www.readsnursery.co.uk
www.keepers-nursery.co.uk