Medlar is a Japanese relative of our hawthorn, quince, and pear.

It looks like a plum or peach. It tastes like a cross between a pear and a quince.

It has the same juicy, crunchy flesh with 3 or 4 seeds. If you eat it inadvertently, you can even sprinkle it with ripe pulp.

Description of the medlar fruit

Medlar is a fruit that came to Europe from China. But before Europe, he managed to visit Japan. Therefore, the full biological name of the loquat is Japanese. In the Caucasus, she is simply called "bumps".

The fruit is bright orange in color. Ripe fruits are easily peeled off. Medlar is very fleshy, juicy, sweet and sour, but low in calories and high in fiber and potassium.

The fruit is very popular in Italy. There, medlar is eaten raw, and jam, marmalade are also cooked, and added to various culinary products. Yoghurt with its taste is very popular among Italians.

Even when it's hot, the medlar juice inside the fruit remains pleasantly cool. They cool on hot days. And if you eat 1 - 2 fruits in front of the beach, you will get an even tan.

The fruits have always been very popular, but in the past they were eaten mainly for medical purposes. Medlar is very rich and varied in useful properties. The fruit was used for healing the whole body, but especially for the treatment of the gastrointestinal tract.

A long time ago, they began to eat medlar to keep the body in shape. This fruit has not been spared by men either, everyone knows its positive effect on male strength.

Trees are excellent honey plants. The flowers are fragrant with a scent reminiscent of bitter almonds.

Medlar: useful properties

This exotic fruit looks like a chemical. the composition is similar to the usual apple. Most of it is malic and citric acid - up to 70%. As well as sugar, vitamin C, aromatic substances, phytoncides, etc.

The uniqueness of the medlar in the high content of beta - carotene. When one molecule of beta-carotene breaks down, it turns into two molecules of vitamin A. And this is our good eyesight. Vitamin A is necessary for the formation of rhodopsin, in fact, thanks to it, we can see. Vitamin A is especially important for twilight (night) vision. The content of vitamin A in medlar is simply huge - 1.5 mg per 100 grams. For example, carrots contain 0.9 mg per 100 grams.

Medlar contains fiber. It improves the digestion of food. Promotes proper assimilation of food. Reduces hunger by swelling in the stomach.

The fruits of the medlar contain almost all the vitamins of group B. And these are water-soluble vitamins that are not synthesized by the body itself. Their daily rate must be obtained from the outside. By and large, they all take part in cellular metabolism. Medlar contains thiamine, pyridoxine, riboflavin, nicotinic and folic acids. And this is the correct growth and development of erythrocytes, the normal functioning of the nervous system, a good metabolism, or rather the synthesis of proteins and fats.

Medlar has a high content of potassium. And this is the contraction of muscles, including the heart, as well as the transmission of nerve impulses. Regulates acid-base balance.

To eliminate diarrhea, green medlar fruits are suitable. The unripe product tastes like knitting, but at the same time holds the feces well.

For prolonged constipation, colitis, swelling, gas formation, on the contrary, ripe medlar is suitable. In addition, it improves liver function, promotes the elimination of harmful cholesterol.

Medlar has a striking bactericidal, anti-inflammatory, diuretic, and antipyretic properties. Ripe berries are very useful for people with diseases of the cardiovascular and urinary system. Medlar improves heart function, lowers blood pressure, cleans blood vessels. It also helps to remove salts, sand or stones from the kidneys.

Medlar leaves are very valuable. They contain a natural adsorbent - amygdolin. This substance cleanses the body of harmful substances: toxins, heavy metals, toxins. The pectins that are part of the medlar remove radionuclides. A decoction of dry bark is an excellent antibacterial agent for treating the oral cavity. Shown is a decoction for fluxes, bleeding, paradentosis, and sore throat.

Like any berry or fruit, medlar is a dietary food product. 100 grams contains 44 kcal, but at the same time, thanks to the fiber, the feeling of hunger does not come for a long time.

Thanks to vitamin C, medlar helps to increase immunity. The fruit is shown in the autumn - winter period to combat colds. Ripe pulp removes phlegm from the lungs, soothes a lingering cough, reduces shortness of breath. The fruit is useful for bronchial asthma.

Alcohol tincture of medlar

For the treatment of colds, an alcoholic infusion of medlar is most effective.

For cooking you will need:

  • 7 - 8 ripe fruits
  • 100 g vodka

Remove the seeds from the fruit and cut into wedges. Break the bones and put them in a glass jar together with the pulp. Pour the contents with vodka and insist in a dark place for 3 days. Store in refrigerator with lid closed. Drink 1 tbsp. l. 2 times a day.

Especially useful for bronchitis, asthma, coughs, etc. Combine internal reception with rubbing.

Medlar is a powerful natural antioxidant. All thanks to vitamin A, C, as well as the flavonoids contained in it. Excessive oxidation of the body is a big problem. An acidic environment is the basis for the development of various foci of inflammation, a paradise for the development of diaphoretic microorganisms.

Plus to all of the above, medlar is rich in minerals: calcium, potassium, zinc, selenium, phosphorus, magnesium, copper.

Daily consumption of juicy fruit protects us from a serious illness - diabetes. Because it stimulates the pancreas to produce insulin.

The pulp of the medlar is very useful for the skin of the face, to maintain its youth and elasticity. It is not for nothing that vitamin A was nicknamed the vitamin of beauty. And the medlar is the record holder for its content.

Fresh pulp is a natural face cream. The gruel from the medlar will moisturize the face, remove dryness, nourish, relieve puffiness, improve the passage of oxygen, and rejuvenate the cells.

Contraindications medlar

  • Increased acidity of the stomach.
  • Stomach ulcer.
  • An allergic reaction is possible.

Useful properties of medlar leaves and bark

Leaf tea is very popular in Japan and China. This is due to the fact that this tea is a good antiviral agent. It coughs up well and cures coughs, helps with angina.

Tea made from medlar leaves is made as easy as shelling pears. As usual, they are poured with boiling water, they are allowed to brew for a while. Add honey if desired.

Therefore, if you are lucky enough to be near the medlar tree, do not be too lazy to pick the leaves and dry them for the winter. This is a terrific cold remedy.

Medlar leaves can be brewed in a mix with other ingredients, for example, with ginger root, licorice root, mint, basil, raspberry leaf, etc.

The fact is that phytoncides containing medlar in the leaves contribute to the production of antibodies. Therefore, the body heals itself.

Also, tea from the leaves cleanses the blood from sugar and cholesterol. Improves its composition and liquefies the structure. Medlar leaves contribute to the preservation of minerals. This is very important in the summer. With "soft" bones or lack of minerals, tea from medlar leaves is what you need. In addition, it relieves inflammation in the joints.

If you are lucky enough to get the medlar bark, do not be lazy and make a decoction. It is an excellent oral care product.

Medlar compote: recipe

  • 4 ripe fruits.
  • 1 l. water.
  • 1/3 lemon.
  • 150 g of sugar.
  • mint.

Bring water to a boil. Add 150 gr. Sahara. Meanwhile, we cut the medlar in half. We do not take out the bones. Add the fruits to boiling sweet water.

After boiling, squeeze out the lemon juice. We boil for 5 - 10 minutes and turn off. After that, we transfer the fruits of the medlar into a prepared jar and fill them with syrup. Put 3 - 4 mint leaves with a stalk on top. We cover the container with a lid.

After cooling down, you can drink. And if you use a sterile jar, you can make a blank for the winter. Then the mint is thrown into a boiling compote for a couple of minutes for sterilization.

Hearing the name medlar, the tales of Scheherazade and various oriental sweets come to mind. In fact, medlar is a plant that was cultivated for a long time as an ornamental in most countries, but is now recognized as an edible fruit plant. What does it look like, where does the medlar grow? Is it possible to eat its fruits, what is their harm?

German medlar, a short description

There are two different types of plants called medlar - these are Germanic and Japanese or lokva. Although both species belong to the same family, they are representatives of different genera. German medlar - belongs to the genus Medlar, from the Pink family. Deciduous plant, tree or shrub. Introduced to Germany from southwestern Asia. It grows in warm climates with mild winters. Found in the Crimea, the Caucasus, southern Europe. In Azerbaijan, it was raised several centuries before our era. But gradually, in the 17th - 18th centuries, the displacement by other plants began and the popularity slightly decreased.

Under favorable conditions, it grows up to eight meters in height. The branches are prickly. Leaves are oval-oblong, their length reaches 15 cm, width - up to 4 cm. The leaves remain green all summer, and turn red in autumn. The German medlar blooms in the second half of May. The flowers are white, five-petal, with red stamens. In place of the flowers, round brown fruits with a diameter of 1.5 to 3 cm are formed. In cultivated plant varieties, fruits can reach up to 5 cm in diameter. There are four large bones inside the fruit. If you try to eat them immediately after ripening, it may seem that they are inedible, since their flesh is very tart and firm.

We must wait for the frost to hit and only then harvest the trees. The pulp becomes soft, jelly-like and sour-sweet, as in a pear, there are hard stony cells.

Considering that Germanic medlar grows in areas with a fairly mild climate, then you can not wait for frosts there, you will have to remove the fruits and place them in a strong salt solution after harvesting. Store all this in a cool place for several weeks and only then eat it. After such ripening, the taste of the fruits of the German medlar is a bit like applesauce and they themselves significantly decrease in size and become wrinkled. Fruits of the medlar can be eaten fresh, but most often it is used in confectionery. The medlar is the only species of the genus Medlar, however, there is another plant with the same name - Japanese /

Lokva or Japanese medlar, description

Japanese medlar or lokva is an evergreen plant of the Eriobotria genus, from the Apple subfamily, included in the Pink family. This genus includes about 30 plant species. For the first time, the plant was described in detail by the Swedish botanist KP Thunberg in the book "The Flora of Japan" (1784). Lokva has very large leaves. They reach up to 25 cm in length and up to 8 cm in width. From above, the leaf plates are green, firmly leathery, from below, slightly brownish and pubescent.

Medlar grows in warm climates in China and Japan. Blooms in October. The flowers are white, creamy with a strong pleasant aroma. Collected at the tops of the shoots in dozens of pieces. The fruits ripen by May - June. In European climates, it blooms in spring, the fruits ripen by October. They are quite large, slightly elongated, up to 8 cm in length and up to 4 cm in diameter. The color is bright yellow or orange. On the branches are located in groups of 10 - 12 pieces. Each fruit contains seeds, their usual amount is from 1 to 5 pieces. It is worth noting that from the crushed seeds of Japanese eriobotria, you can brew a drink that is very similar in taste to coffee.

Immediately after collection, the medlar is eaten. Currently, it is grown not only in Asian countries, but also in southern Europe, Transcaucasia, it has become especially popular in Israel, where it is called shesek, in Spain it is known as nispero. Recently, scientists have been paying much attention to the useful and medicinal properties of the fruits of the Japanese medlar.

The benefits and harms of fruits, leaves, medlar flowers

The benefits of Japanese medlar are due to their low calorie content and high content of nutrients. It contains:

  • carotene
  • beta carotene
  • group B

macro- and microelements:

  • iron
  • potassium
  • phosphorus
  • calcium
  • magnesium

Medlar is used for kidney dysfunction; when consumed fresh, it acts as a diuretic. It is able to remove not only excess fluid, but also toxins, while replenishing the content of nutrients. The fruits of Eriobotria japonica have a positive effect on visual acuity due to the content of carotene and beta-carotene, which are converted into vitamin A. Potassium, contained in medlar, stabilizes the work of the heart and blood vessels.

Besides the fruit, other parts of the plant are used. For lung diseases, you can prepare a decoction of flowers. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and as an expectorant. It is recommended for asthma, coughs of various natures, chronic bronchitis. An aqueous infusion of leaves is used for gastric and intestinal disorders, diarrhea. It can be drunk with various intoxications and poisoning. Recently, substances that inhibit the growth of cancer cells have been isolated from the Japanese medlar.

Harm of the Japanese medlar

In addition to benefits, fruits and other parts of the Japanese medlar can cause some harm to the body. This is due primarily to the content of cyanide substances. Although their number is scanty and they cannot cause poisoning, headaches may occur with a long stay near the plant. Individual intolerance to various parts of the plant is possible. But if these interesting fruits are found on sale, they should be purchased and appreciated for their taste and benefits.

Video about the Japanese medlar:

Medlar - the unusual name of the fruit mentally takes you to the orchards of the East, where exotic fruit trees and shrubs grow, mysterious beauties walk, unprecedented passions boil. This is a fruit that has absorbed the warmth of sunlight and the tenderness of southern nights.

Actually - it is an evergreen tree belonging to the Pink family... The height of trees in the homeland of growth can reach 7-8 meters, depending on the species. There are species that grow as shrubs.

The plant is widespread in Southeast Asia, the Caucasus, Iran. In Japan and China, medlar is grown commercially, but the tree is mainly grown as an ornamental green plant.

Medlar is an evergreen tree of the Rosaceae family, whose fruits combine the flavors of several fruits

Medlar loves warmth, she needs a long daylight hours, although she is quite frost-resistant, withstands frosts down to -15 ° C. Severe frosts can cause the tree to stop blooming and bearing fruit.

In mid-latitudes, for the winter, she will need shelter, which is almost impossible to make for an 8-meter tree, therefore, in the middle lane, the medlar is grown in the form of shrubs or at home.

Berry, leaves, fruits - what does the fruit taste like?

The fruit is pear-shaped, size from small, like an apricot, to large, like a peach. There are varieties that are very small with cherries, round in shape, as well as giants the size of an avocado.

Medlar has an unusual taste that differs from the usual taste sensations. Gourmets note that the taste is similar to a combination of pear and cherry or apple and apricot, or strawberry.

Opinions differ, so everyone should try and decide for themselves what this fruit looks like. The sweet and sour juice of the fruit quenches thirst well, it is cool, delicate, with a delicate aroma. When choosing a fruit, one should focus on its softness and aroma. The most delicious are medium-sized berries, the size of an apricot. They are juicy and very fragrant.

The leaves of the plant are oval, glossy, with prominent veins. By autumn, the leaves turn crimson, which gives the plant a special decorative effect. No wonder the medlar is grown to decorate parks and gardens in the republics of the Caucasus.

The plant blooms with beautiful, fragrant, single flowers.

Useful properties of fruits

Medlar is considered not only tasty, but also a healthy product. Its effect on the body is determined by the vitamins and minerals it contains, fiber, beta-carotene, phytoncides, etc.

The fruit is used for the treatment and prevention of the following diseases:

  • Restoration of metabolism, strengthening of immunity.
  • Diseases of the gastrointestinal tract: it improves the digestion of food, is used for pathologies caused by pathogenic bacteria, removes mucus and other decay elements from the body, etc.
  • Diabetes. The consumption of this fruit promotes the production of insulin in the body.

Medlar promotes the production of insulin, therefore it is used in the treatment of diabetes
  • The fruits, due to their low calorie content, are used for dietary nutrition.
  • Inflammatory diseases. The use of medlar promotes the rapid cure of bronchitis, softens the course of urolithiasis, and has a positive effect on male strength.
  • The fruit is able to rejuvenate the skin, nourish it with essential vitamins. After applying medlar pulp masks, the skin becomes even, smooth and radiant.

In addition to fruits, the leaves of the plant also have medicinal properties.

Medlar Japanese, Germanic, Crimean, Caucasian (Abkhazia)

Several types of garden medlar are known. Depending on the species, not only the form of growth of the medlar changes, but also the appearance of the fruit. The most common are Japanese, which are mainly planted in Japan, China and German, it is also called Crimean or Caucasian.


In our latitudes, the German medlar is most often grown

The Japanese type of fruit is large, juicy and very aromatic. The tree blooms in the period September-March, the fruits ripen at the end of June. The German species is small in size, but it is more frost-hardy and unpretentious. Therefore, this plant variety is mainly grown in Russia. This plant variety blooms in May, and the fruit ripens in late autumn.

Unlike the Japanese, the color of the German variety fruit is brown-red; it is consumed after the first frost.

How to grow at home

As a decorative tree, the plant can be grown at home from seed or vegetatively... It will decorate the winter garden with its unusual look.


One of the ways to grow medlar at home is from seeds

Breeders have bred special domestic plant species: variety "Morozko", "Tanaka", "Premier", "Champagne", etc. They are also capable of bearing fruit, but the taste of the fruit is softer, less pronounced. The Japanese species can be propagated by cuttings that are either planted in a drain or grafted onto an apple or hawthorn tree.

The plant needs sunlight, sufficient air humidity, for its fruiting, it is important that it is not exposed to frost... One tree can live with good care for 30-40 years.

Take the opportunity to learn more about the best indoor plant Dracaena (photo of Dracaena, how to care, propagate, etc.)

Where to buy seedlings. Price

The easiest way to breed a plant is by buying its seedling. They are grown in special nurseries and sold through specialized stores, including via the Internet:

  1. The online store "Gardens of Semiramis" offers to purchase medlar saplings from 1350 rubles. for 1 pc.
  2. In the online store "Saplings" the plant is sold at a price of 679 rubles. per piece
  3. In the Nursery Zemlya Zemlya, the cost of a plant is 1200 rubles. for 1 pc.

Before choosing a seedling over the Internet, you need to look at the reviews about the quality of the sent material through this Internet portal, which are available not only directly on the site, but also on thematic forums.

Medlar seedlings, growing conditions in the apartment, soil, care

Having bought a plant seedling, you need to think over its location. The height of a house plant can reach 1-1.5 meters, it needs good lighting, but without direct sunlight. If the plant does not have enough light, it will begin to shed its leaves, will not bloom and bear fruit, so backlighting may be required.

Any type of plant can be planted in the apartment, but if the plant is bought for planting and growing at home, then preference is given to species specially designed for indoor conditions.

Cuttings are planted in spring or autumn in slightly acidic soils with good drainage.

A suitable pot is selected for planting, it should allow the roots of the cutting to fit freely. Preparing the soil, drainage. Mineral fertilizers are added to the soil, expanded clay is poured onto the bottom of the pot. The plant is neatly placed in the pot.


For a medlar grown in a house or apartment, you should select a roomy pot, pouring expanded clay and soil into it

Plant care consists in regular watering and periodically spraying the leaves with warm water. In the summer, the tree can be taken out into fresh air, increasing watering. In winter, watering is reduced, the plant can be kept on the balcony, up to a temperature of -2 ° C - + 5 ° C, without watering it.

To form the crown, the plant is cut in the first and second year by a third, then as needed.

The plant is transplanted as it grows, once every 3-4 years.

Growing a tree in the country

If a tree is planned to be planted in a personal plot, then it is better to plant the German medlar, because it is more frost-resistant and unpretentious... In open ground, the German medlar is planted in the form of seedlings.


At the summer cottage, the medlar should be planted in a spacious, well-lit place

Before planting, it must be borne in mind that a tree can reach a height of 3 or more meters, he needs space and good lighting... The soil is chosen slightly acidic, without a close location of groundwater.

To begin with, a hole is prepared: peat, humus, sand are poured into the hole in equal amounts. The size of the hole should be such as to freely accommodate the roots of the seedling.

Water the plant in moderation, increasing the watering rate during flowering and ripening of fruits. The tree is fed 4-5 times per season with humus, organic fertilizers. To prevent diseases 1-2 times per season, seedlings are treated with pest drugs.

To form the crown, the plant must be cut off. It is better to do this in the fall after harvest.

Homemade medlar. How to grow from a seed in a pot at home

An interesting way to propagate a plant is to grow a tree from seeds. This method is only suitable for fresh plant seeds.

If the medlar is planted by seeds, then before planting in the ground, it is recommended to scarify the shell... The upper protective layer is removed from the seeds using sandpaper. Then the bones are soaked for several hours in a biostimulator.

The prepared seeds are planted to a depth of 3-4 cm. After planting, the pot with seeds is covered with glass to create a microclimate and placed in a bright place without direct sunlight. Seeds germinate in 1 month on average.


For seed germination, the pot with medlar must be placed under glass in a well-lit place, but without direct sunlight.

After germination, the glass is gradually removed for several hours a day. After the appearance of 2 real leaves, the glass is removed completely. The room temperature should be around 20 ° C.

Young plants 3-4 times per season must be fed with mineral and organic fertilizers, make sure that the plant has slightly moist soil, periodically gently spray the sprout with warm water.

What harm can be for the body. Contraindications

The harm from medlar can be caused by overeating.

If the body is not used to the fruit, it is recommended to use 2-3 fruits a day gradually increasing the dose, otherwise it may result in indigestion, colic and pain in the gastrointestinal tract.

The fruit is used with caution in open forms of gastritis, pancreatitis, ulcerative diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, intolerance of the body to the constituent substances.


Medlar is not recommended for use in case of gastrointestinal diseases.

Cooking recipes

With fruit, you can make a lot of healthy and tasty desserts, fillings for pies are made from it, preserves, sauces, and jams are made from it.

Here are some interesting recipes using this fruit.

Jam

Most often, jam is made from medlar. For this, ripe fruits are collected in an amount of 5 kg, cleaned of debris, washed and boiled with the addition of 1-1.5 cups of water. When the fruit becomes soft, rub it through a sieve, add 2 kg of sugar and boil until tender.

If you like the spicy, rich taste of jam, you can add cloves. Lovers of citrus aroma add lemon or orange zest to the jam.

The finished jam is packaged in sterile jars with screw caps.

Compote

Fruit compote is prepared in the same way as apple compote. Fruits are laid out in sterile jars, poured with sugar syrup and sterilized for 10-15 minutes. in a water bath.

Chicken baked with apples and medlar

This recipe is suitable not only for a quiet family dinner, you can surprise and delight guests with such a dish.

To cook chicken, you need the following Ingredients:

  • chicken 1 pc.,
  • sunflower oil 2 tbsp. spoons,
  • salt, garlic, pepper - to taste,
  • sour apples 4 pcs.,
  • medlar 1/2 cup.

The carcass is soaked in a marinade of oil, salt, pepper and garlic, and left for 2 hours. They are transferred to a rooster, and covered with chopped apples and a whole loquat.

Bake in the oven from 50 minutes to 1.5 hours, depending on the size of the carcass, periodically pouring the resulting juice over the chicken.

In the same way, you can bake duck, ham.

Medlar can be frozen for fresh use in the winter. To do this, it is simply laid out in disposable containers and put into the freezer.


Medlar can be frozen for the winter by simply spreading it into disposable containers.

In winter, it will be possible to cook fresh compote from medlar or add to fruit salad. Often the medlar is grown as an ornamental plant, not suspecting how useful and tasty it is. Lovers of exotic plants and fruits will surely enjoy not only growing a tree, but also collecting its fruits and conducting various interesting culinary experiments with it.

What is medlar and how to grow it:

Useful properties of medlar:

Medlar (lokva) is an indigenous plant of southeastern China and probably southern Japan, although it may have been introduced here in prehistoric times. It is believed that this fruit has been cultivated in Japan for over a thousand years. In the West, information about the medlar appeared in 1690 from the descriptions of the botanist Kaempfer, who studied the Japanese flora. Almost a century later, specimens of loqua trees brought from China were planted in the national park of Paris and the Royal Botanic Gardens in England.


In the 19th century, loquat began to spread to the Middle East, its plantings also appeared in North Africa, and the quickly gaining popularity of fruits appeared in local markets in large quantities. The Mediterranean countries became imbued with this culture, where medlar grows everywhere to this day, and suitable conditions made it possible to obtain good quality fruits. Since 1818 in the greenhouses of England, they began to grow a high-quality crop of lokva, and in the warmest places in southern England, trees successfully grow in open ground.


The agricultural cultivation of medlar has become popular in India, the countries of Southeast Asia, and also on the other side of the equator - in Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa. Chinese immigrants brought seedlings to Hawaii. In the New World, medlar grows and bears fruit in the northern countries of South America, Central America, Mexico, California and Florida, USA. In the more northern regions of the United States and Europe, the medlar tree grows as a popular ornamental plant, especially the varieties with white and light green markings on the leaves.


Medlar does not grow in hot tropical countries, since its native climate is the subtropics and the territories adjacent to them. It is safe to say that this culture occupies all corners of the world suitable for its fruiting. And where the lokva does not bear fruit, but is able to grow, it is grown as an ornamental plant. But at the same time, trees do not develop well in lowlands, preferring heights from 900 meters above sea level with moderately fertile soils.


In Russia, medlar grows on the southern coast of Crimea and on the Black Sea coast, as well as in Abkhazia, where the fruit ripens in May. In the mountainous regions of Central America and India, lokva naturalized, since the tree perfectly reproduces by seeds without human assistance. In addition, it is actively used as natural barriers due to the longevity and endurance of the plant, strong and disease-resistant wood.


Medlar is a highly popular fruit, since at the time of its ripening - the end of spring, there are practically no other fruit crops that yield a harvest. Lokva grows successfully where citrus fruits are grown, however, they are not commercially competitive. Medlar is exported only in small quantities, mainly in processed form. The main fruit producing countries use it for domestic consumption. The largest areas of these trees are found in China, Pakistan, Spain, Japan, Turkey, Italy and Brazil. Moreover, the main world exporter of medlar is Spain, followed by China and Pakistan lagging behind. The rest of the states, producers eat their crops practically without residue.


The weak development of the export of medlar fruit can be explained by a combination of the following factors. Its fruits are in great domestic demand due to the lack of other fruits. Medlar plantations usually belong to private, family farms that do not have the ability and need to organize cross-border trade. Varieties with increased plant survival and high yields are widespread, but they do not produce marketable fruits of low quality. Ripe medlar has a short shelf life, and maturation does not occur separately from the plant.


Tell your friends about it.

Every gardener tries to acquire and plant more and more plants on his site. If you want something new and exotic, the Caucasian medlar will suit you, which has not only a beautiful appearance, but different useful properties.

Medlar is a large range of plants, which has more than thirty species. They all belong to the pink family. In botany and breeding, two main types of this plant are known: Caucasian (Germanic) and Japanese.

The Caucasian medlar has been known to mankind since time immemorial. In Ancient Babylon and Mesopotamia, it was sold, and traders from Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome bought it. Thus, this plant got to the European continent, where it then spread to many lands of the Old World. This fruit tree currently grows in the countries of the Balkan Peninsula, in the Crimea, Asia Minor, Greece, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iran. The plant is quite picky, it needs good sunny places and slightly acidic soil.

The Caucasian medlar grows to a maximum of eight meters, but much more often it is lower. The leaves of the tree are colored dark green, and turn red before falling off in autumn (you can look at the photo). Medlar flowers are white, almost like all pink ones, appear on the tree in late spring. After the flowers bloom, fruits appear, which turn brown-red during the ripening period. The fruits have unfolded permanent sepals and reach a size of 2-3 cm. If they are removed from the tree before the onset of the first frost, they will be sour and slightly viscous. In order for the fruits of the Caucasian medlar to become soft and sweet, they need to be slightly frozen and left to lie for a month. At the same time, they decrease in size and wrinkle.

We grow medlar in the garden

Growing medlar is a rather painstaking and lengthy exercise. To grow Caucasian medlar at home, you need to take its seed and germinate seedlings from it, having previously kept it in a cold place for about 3 months. If we talk about the natural habitat of this plant, then the seed germinates here for a very long time - 2-3 years. But in order to do everything faster for your garden and not wait so long, before stratification of the bone, it is necessary to place it in a 3% solution of sulfuric acid for several hours, and then rinse it well. Before planting, such bones are recommended to be soaked for 24 hours in warm water.

The seeds of the medlar are thus planted in open soil in the fall, and germinate in the spring. You can sprinkle the planting sites with peat, sawdust, or simply cover with foil. Experienced gardeners use another way of growing Caucasian medlar: they plant seeds for seedlings, and when they grow up to 20-30 cm, they are transferred to open ground.

To make the tree grow well and feel comfortable with you, plant it in drained, loose soil. To do this, you need to take deciduous soil, turf, humus and sand in equal quantities. In the ground, it is necessary to make holes a third larger than the root of the plant, place it there and fill it with a prepared drained mixture.

In the care of the medlar, it is picky, it is necessary to care for it, as well as for other fruit and berry plants: water it moderately, without overmoistening the soil. Two or three times a season, dry and damaged branches should be removed, fed with various fertilizers and formed a crown. As for the seedlings, they need to be fertilized with a mullein once every three weeks.

In order to fight pests and diseases of the Caucasian medlar, spray it 2 times a season with "Fitoverm", "Lepidocide" or "Insegar".

What is rich in medlar?

The beneficial properties of the Caucasian medlar have been known since time immemorial. The fruits of this plant are rich in ascorbic acid, which helps to strengthen the immune system of children and adults.

Medlar is rich in tannins, which are used as hemostatic and bactericidal agents. To cleanse the body of bad cholesterol and decay products, eat medlar fruits, because they contain pectin. It also improves bowel function and fights constipation.

In addition, this plant is a natural storehouse of potassium and magnesium, the first of which has a beneficial effect on the heart, and the second improves the condition of the muscular and nervous systems. Calcium, which is also rich in fruits, replenishes the supply of bone tissue.

Medlar fruits are recommended for hypertensive patients, because they tend to lower blood pressure and improve blood clotting, thereby reducing the likelihood of heart attack and stroke. It is also used for the treatment and prevention of cancer.

Thus, the Caucasian medlar is a natural storehouse of vitamins and microelements:

  • Potassium;
  • Calcium;
  • Magnesium;
  • Pectin;
  • Vitamin C.

It should be remembered that it is better not to take unripe medlar fruits for people with high acidity, gastrointestinal problems, gastritis and ulcers. You should limit the use of people with allergies and children.

Medlar in cooking

Basically, they eat the fruits of the medlar, and from the leaves and bark they make medicinal tinctures and tea. The fruits can be stored in regular and frozen form, while they will not lose their taste and medicinal properties. In cooking, a variety of desserts, preserves, jams, juices, marmalade, marshmallow and even wine and liqueurs are made from it.