Pear/ apple fruit..ID..

[Jeannine]

Hi I picked some fruit yesterday from a disused tree, at first glance it thought it was a pear as it had the elongated end the colour is green turning yellow. They were falling from the tree so figured they were ripe.

I took a taste..wow so astringenet I wondered if it was a quince..but that tapered end was baffling me.

Does anyone have any ideas please. Can't do a picture right now, something is not working right with my camera thingy.

I am familiar with quince and this does not look the same as the one I know,,is there are pear shaped one.

XX Jeannine

[Jeannine]

[:(]

Most quinces are pear-shaped. Heres what RHS says

http://www.rhs.org.uk/Gardening/Grow-Your-Own/Fruit-A-to-Z/Quinces

Theres a page of images here, most of them are elongated   

http://www.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&source=imghp&biw=1021&bih=438&q=quince&btnG=Search+Images&gbv=2&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=                                                               

[saddad]

Most of the true quince are basically pear shaped... ornamental quince (japonica) aren't but the fruits are still edible in preserves...  :)

[manicscousers]

I'm glad you asked this, Jeannine, we've found a huge 'pear' tree with sour fruits, now I know what they are x  :)

[Jeannine]

Thank you for the replies, actually I think they are quinces but the elongated end is much more pronounced than all the pictures I have seen and those posted, however, many were still fairly green just turning yellow and I picked them too early, I know that now. I  turned them to cooked fruit last night and dripped it, today I made them into jelly, but have chucked it..still far too astringent to eat even with all the sugar, BUT.. next year I will be ready and waiting as I think I took them far too underripe so it was not nice.

Still chuffed though as I have wanted to locate another one for years. I used to make jelly with a tree we had on our property and always picked them when bright yellow.Hope next year I can give the tree a bit of care as they were falling off before ready.

XX Jeannine

[antipodes]

Probably quinces. Yes they should be a deep yellow when you pick them and fragrant (they give off more perfume as they ripen). But you can also cook them for purees or sauces or to make fruit cheese.

[GrannieAnnie]

Most of the true quince are basically pear shaped... ornamental quince (japonica) aren't but the fruits are still edible in preserves...  :)

Saddad, have you ever eaten them? I was wondering since we have an ornamental quince that get huge fruits, but I never saw a recipe for them and was hesitant...

[Palustris]

Hope so, since I had Quince jam on my toast this morning made from the fruit of Chaenomeles japonica. Our Cydonia oblonga is not mature enough to produce fruits yet.

[saddad]

Like Palustris... as a "jam"  :)

[goodlife]

Yes I do some 'jam' from Chaenomeles fruits too..taste like apple sauce with a hint of citrus..different but nice..