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19-06-2003, 01:08 AM

(Genevieve Tharp) wrote in
:

"Dianna Visek" wrote ...
I didn't realize the ornamentals had useful fruit. How big is the
fruit?

I got some from a friend once; I was thinking she had only one bush in
her yard. The fruit is knotty and gnarled, golf ball size or smaller.
I cooked them down whole, then smashed them, then strained them. The
jelly/jam I made from it was quite nice ... mild tasting. I did some
batches with just the ornamental quince and some with pineapple added
... seems like I also did a quince-pear batch.

Genevieve in Mississippi

That is the average size though certain larger selections are offered.
Apparently there is also a chinese version w/ 4 to 6" fruit. All of these
were and perhaps still are classified as Chaebomeles.

The garden quince Cydonia is more versatile making not only jelly, but
added 10 to 20% to apple pie. In a good year (I don't think this will be
one here in the NE) when regular spraying can control the insect pests my
single tree yields more fruit than needed. Even in a year when the insects
win the flowers are very nicely scented and the ripening fruit perfumes a
cosiderable area. It is one of the few edibles that my wife approves of
growing in the front yard.

To further confuse things there is also a Pseudocydonia or chinese quince
tree that has very large fruit also used for jelly, pie and a quince cider.
One of the colleges here a Long Island has several of the trees on campus
and it occasionally makes the local papers with reports of its rarity and
great age.