Am thinking of planting a cydonia (quince) in my north facing but large
enough to get a few hours of sun each day garden (have been put off the
Judas tree ) but have just read that teh seeds are poisonous - my
intention was to use the fruit for jams etc. Is it just a case of coring
them like apples? How poisonous are the seeds? (has anyone eaten one and
survived ??)

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
Am thinking of planting a cydonia (quince) in my north facing but large
enough to get a few hours of sun each day garden (have been put off the
Judas tree ) but have just read that teh seeds are poisonous - my
intention was to use the fruit for jams etc. Is it just a case of coring
them like apples? How poisonous are the seeds? (has anyone eaten one and
survived ??)

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)



I do not know what sort of Quince I have but I would say that it is near
impossible to eat in the raw form. Far too hard and bitter x1000.
I do eat quince jelly and until now it's never caused any

In article , "H Ryder" writes:
| Am thinking of planting a cydonia (quince) in my north facing but large
| enough to get a few hours of sun each day garden (have been put off the
| Judas tree ) but have just read that teh seeds are poisonous - my
| intention was to use the fruit for jams etc. Is it just a case of coring
| them like apples? How poisonous are the seeds? (has anyone eaten one and
| survived ??)

Here we go again :-(

The seeds contain some cyanide, most of which is lost during cooking.
Unless you eat a handful of raw seeds, you are unlikely to come to
harm. Please worry about something more serious, like being killed
by radiation from televisions.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

Please worry about something more serious, like being killed
by radiation from televisions.

am not worried about this as we only watch TV from behind a large lead
screen

--
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article , "H Ryder" writes:
| Am thinking of planting a cydonia (quince) in my north facing but large
| enough to get a few hours of sun each day garden (have been put off the
| Judas tree ) but have just read that teh seeds are poisonous - my
| intention was to use the fruit for jams etc. Is it just a case of coring
| them like apples? How poisonous are the seeds? (has anyone eaten one and
| survived ??)

Here we go again :-(

The seeds contain some cyanide, most of which is lost during cooking.
Unless you eat a handful of raw seeds, you are unlikely to come to
harm. Please worry about something more serious, like being killed
by radiation from televisions.

Nick, I know this is a bugbear of yours but Hayley's queries are
entirely reasonable from her point of view. If she doesn't know the
answer, she has reason to ask the question. Plants and herbs are
extremely powerful in their effects upon some people, notably the very
young, the very old and even the mildly pregnant! We know, for
example, that in Australia some people are poisoned almost every year
because they use the twigs from Oleanders as skewers for the barbie -
they don't know they're poisonous because nobody told them and they
didn't ask! I don't get any impression of hysteria from Hayley,
merely a commonsensical approach from a comparatively new gardener.
She's not talking about cutting down chestnut trees in case conkers
fall on her children's heads, after all!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon

"Sacha" wrote
She's not talking about cutting down chestnut trees in case conkers
fall on her children's heads, after all!

You'd think that must be an urban myth - but no, the zealous
environmentally concerned Norwich City Council really did propose this a
few years back! I believe some did get the chop but others were saved
only after much derision in the national press.

I don't know why it is that normally intelligent, sensible people are
often drained of all common sense once they end up voting on things in
Council meetings. It must be some sort of psychological phenomenon -
Sick Committee Syndrome.

--
Sue

I think it's called job creation

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
Am thinking of planting a cydonia (quince) in my north facing but large
enough to get a few hours of sun each day garden (have been put off the
Judas tree ) but have just read that teh seeds are poisonous - my
intention was to use the fruit for jams etc. Is it just a case of coring
them like apples? How poisonous are the seeds? (has anyone eaten one and
survived ??)
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

They are really difficult to cut up - hard as stone - but well worth the effort.
they make wonderful jelly and I use them in Quince Crumble :~)
Jenny

In article ,
Janet Baraclough writes:
|
| The seeds contain some cyanide,
|
| So do apple seeds, (and almonds, iirc)

Yes, they do.

| We're all doooomed I tell ye, doooomed.

I shall go and find my poker, to lead the quivering.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

"JennyC" wrote in message
...

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
Am thinking of planting a cydonia (quince) in my north facing but large
enough to get a few hours of sun each day garden (have been put off the
Judas tree ) but have just read that teh seeds are poisonous - my
intention was to use the fruit for jams etc. Is it just a case of coring
them like apples? How poisonous are the seeds? (has anyone eaten one and
survived ??)
Hayley
(gardening on well drained, alkaline clay in Somerset)

They are really difficult to cut up - hard as stone - but well worth the
effort.
they make wonderful jelly and I use them in Quince Crumble :~)
Jenny

and they will ripen in the UK but only rarely, mine has done so once in 23
years! normally I put a few in the airing cupboard, I rather like them, but
would grow it for the look of the tree and the wonderful smell in the late
Autumn from the fallen fruit.

--
Charlie, gardening in Cornwall.
http://www.roselandhouse.co.uk
Holders of National Plant Collection of Clematis viticella (cvs)

In article ,
"Charlie Pridham" writes:
| "JennyC" wrote in message
| ...
| "H Ryder" wrote in message
| ...
|
| Am thinking of planting a cydonia (quince) in my north facing but large
| enough to get a few hours of sun each day garden (have been put off the
| Judas tree ) but have just read that teh seeds are poisonous - my
| intention was to use the fruit for jams etc. Is it just a case of coring
| them like apples? How poisonous are the seeds? (has anyone eaten one and
| survived ??)
|
| They are really difficult to cut up - hard as stone - but well worth the
| effort. they make wonderful jelly and I use them in Quince Crumble :~)
|
| and they will ripen in the UK but only rarely, mine has done so once in 23
| years! normally I put a few in the airing cupboard, I rather like them, but
| would grow it for the look of the tree and the wonderful smell in the late
| Autumn from the fallen fruit.

Well, I beg to disagree. I do agree that it is a race between them rotting
and ripening, but they do ripen most years - they don't SOFTEN, but that
isn't the same. I am going on the state of their seeds, incidentally, in
saying that.

And they AREN'T all that hard or acid; that is Chaenomeles (also edible).
At one of my prep schools, there were 4 children that ate the quinces raw;
3 were called Maclaren :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

In message , JennyC
writes

"H Ryder" wrote in message
...
Am thinking of planting a cydonia (quince) in my north facing but large
enough to get a few hours of sun each day garden (have been put off the
Judas tree ) but have just read that teh seeds are poisonous - my
intention was to use the fruit for jams etc. Is it just a case of coring
them like apples? How poisonous are the seeds? (has anyone eaten one and
survived ??)

They are really difficult to cut up - hard as stone - but well worth
the effort.
they make wonderful jelly and I use them in Quince Crumble :~)


Quinces are ripe when the skin is a rich yellow (rather than green). It
may still be fluffy. If they fall off the tree consider them ripe.

Core and slice them (peel them too if you like), just barely cover with
water and simmer until tender. Freeze them like that, or make jam or
jelly or wine, or mix one part quince with 4-5 parts apples for a great
pie or crumble.
The seeds are like apple seeds: they go through you unharmed so whatever
they contain doesn't affect you. I'm sure I've eaten lots, but I didn't
know they were supposed to be harmful.

Propagation is by pruning the quince and using it as a pole to support
vegetables etc.
I do not know of any reason to avoid having a quince, but you get good
and bad years for them.

--
Sue ]

One to an apple pie gives a delicious honey like flavour. I can eat cydonia
raw, but I also like raw lemons.
Look for an attractively coloured variety-the cheapest cydonia tens to have
smaller brick red flowers
Regards
David T

david taylor writes
One to an apple pie gives a delicious honey like flavour. I can eat cydonia
raw, but I also like raw lemons.
Look for an attractively coloured variety-the cheapest cydonia tens to have
smaller brick red flowers

Do you really mean Cydonia? The 'brick red' flowers sound more like the
'japanese quince' which is Chaenomeles
--
Kay

In article ,
K writes:
| david taylor writes
| One to an apple pie gives a delicious honey like flavour. I can eat cydonia
| raw, but I also like raw lemons.
| Look for an attractively coloured variety-the cheapest cydonia tens to have
| smaller brick red flowers
|
| Do you really mean Cydonia? The 'brick red' flowers sound more like the
| 'japanese quince' which is Chaenomeles

But the answer to "Is it edible" is the same :-)


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.