Is Quince more adapted to warm climates than apples?
I ordered an Ekmek quince for this spring, on Provence BA-29C. Dithered between Ekmek and Krymskaya. Went for Ekmek because NCGR-Corvallis thinks itās much more disease-resistant. Wish me luck.
https://www.ars.usda.gov/ARSUserFiles/20721500/catalogs/cydfruit.html
Ordered from the Home Orchard Education Center, for $20 (!!!), a third the price at OGN or RN.
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Thanks. Iāve now discovered a new fruit I want to try to grow, possibly without ever tasting itā¦
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yes. I believe its thought to have originated in Persia or thereabouts. It grows throughout the middle east, mediterranean, aegean, central asia.
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Id like to track down some āCrimeaā, which I believe is properly called āKrymskayaā. I have āKuganskayaā, though havent fruited it yet. Theyre both supposed to be sweet with minimal processing, which Ive yet to experience. āEkmekā is a Turkish cultivar with huge fruit that is strictly for processing. The name means ābreadā. Ive had it here several years. Its hardy, but Im Still waiting on fruit.
How would you describe the āeating freshā comparison between those and pineapple? I think you said pineapple was the most robust, so Iām curious about fresh eating palatability and flavor.
I think that pineapple is the easiest in my climate to grow organically. For me, and most people Iāve heard from, Crimea and Kuganskaya, which are both called Krymskaya in the Crimean, where they are from, are the best tasting. You can also eat both raw and they taste good that way.
John S
PDX OR
Iām looking at their quince, which will do best in extremes? very cold winter, very hot summer - they all sound tasty for cooking but the hardiness makes me wonder
Iām growing Aromatnaya and flowering quince. I havenāt tried the Aromatnaya yet. I really like the flowering quince fruit - candied. Equal parts by weight quince and white sugar. Leave for a week and it makes a syrup thatās great for drinks. The fruit is then dried and kinda tastes like dried apricot super sweet and sour.
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You might want to try growing then on thwir own roots. They root really easily and often sucker. If you have dieback itll regrow true to type.
I got some wood from GRIN some years back and some of it didnt cut the mustard here.
The only rootstock Ive tried is the proven hardy variety that came to me as a sucker from a neighbor. Its an old variety brought up with her parents in the 1930ās from theyre previous home in CT. Id guess its a seed grown āorangeā quince, but may be an old cultivar like āMeechās Prolificā.
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My Iranian parents make a similar jam with quince (but with maybe cardamom added while boiling), and we also make āquince with meatā stews over rice.
In the past, I used to make fun of my friends for not eating a ripe quince straight up ā¦
It was a badge-of-honor to try to eat it this way. I didnāt mind a ripe quinceās slight astringency and adored its sweet-n-tart flavor.
but we are all older now and this year, I am slightly worried about losing my weak teeth biting into a quince 
.
So I do cut them thinly and serve that way. I also have a new easier way to serve so donāt have to worry about cutting into the hard fruit and losing a finger 
ā¦
I just boil water in my electric tea kettle, and a few minutes later when its boiling dump it into a very small covered pot with a quince in it. Then a few hours later eat it as itāll be soft enough to take a bite out of the whole fruit (or chill it overnight after its done and eat it the next day [think i prefer have it chilled, although not as delicious as having a fresh thinly cut ripe one]).
Its not being actively boiled for a long time so it wonāt turn too mushy. Just soft enough that teeth (or a knife) can cut it easily.
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My version of that is to microwave covered for a short time, like 30 seconds. It needs to be cut and put in a donut form to cook more evenly.
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I had my first decent quince crop this year, but unfortunately didnāt have time to harvest and use most of it at the right time.
Was happy with this that I made in November. Quince, sugar, and a little citric acid:
Next time Iāll add cardamom.
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Fall always gets so hectic here too. Its a struggle to even figure out what to do sometimes, having to triage. It was my first year without quince here in a good while. I usually make it a point to at least harvest enough for some sauce- like applesauce, but thicker and richer. I steam them first in a big covered crock and then run them through the foley mill. A little water is all you need as they yield a bunch of juice in the process. The liquid in the crock makes perfect instant jelly, just add sugar, boil, and it sets up when cool due to all the pectin.
One of the nicest things about picking, storing, and preparing quince is the smell. It fills your house
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I got 4 Smyrna quince this year, first ones I have ever got. Put one, grated fine, in an apple pie at Thanksgiving. We all really enjoyed it that way as it caused the apple pie to set up beautifully, and brightend up the pie with just a bit of zest flavoring. It still didnāt quite compete with the sour cherry pie for my wife and I though.
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Theyre good raw grated in a salad
Basically anything made with apples is rendered better through the addition of some quince.
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Has anyone here grown Claribel quince or had a chance to eat some? Iām curious about its supposed fungal resistance.
Do quince grow at a similar rate to apples? I see more varieties available online as 1 gallon vs bareroot, and wondering how long itād take for them to size up.
If given plenty of water and fertilizer, quince can grow REALLY fast.
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My quince seem to grow a lot of spindly wood. Seems to need more heading than apples to have any strength.
Has anyone made a list anywhere of quince that can be eaten off the tree (ie are non-astringent enough to eat fresh)?
One Green World reports Kuganskaya can be eaten fresh but other sites are more equivocal. And I donāt know if there are others.