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You are here: Home / Recipes / Recipes by Course / Easy Jam, Jelly & Preserve Recipes / How to Make Medlar Jelly – 3 Ingredients, No Pectin

How to Make Medlar Jelly – 3 Ingredients, No Pectin

Published on September 17, 2021 by Helen Best-Shaw 1 Comment
Last Updated on September 27, 2021

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My medlar jelly recipe is easy to make and a great way to show off this lesser known fruit. Perfect on toast, served with cheese or cold meats, or to sweeten stews and gravies. Hunt out some medlars in late autumn and get jellying! Just three ingredients and no pectin needed. 

Golden medlar jelly spread onto a toasted crumpet. A small dish of jelly in the background.

Everything You Need To Know

  • Medlar jelly
  • What are medlars? 
  • Where can I find medlars? 
  • What is bletting and why should I blet medlars?
  • How to blet medlar fruit
  • How to make medlar jelly – recipe step-by-step
  • How to test for setting point
  • Hints and tips for making medlar jelly
  • Medlar Jelly

Medlar jelly

I love this medlar jelly recipe, particularly because it’s not a preserve that is commonly (if ever) found on supermarket shelves or recipe books. Medlar jelly has a delicious, spiced apple flavour, a little floral but not as much as quince jelly. I love it spread on a toasted crumpet, but it also makes a delicious accompaniment to cheese, particularly blue cheeses, and cold meats. 

You can also stir a spoonful into the gravy of red meats for an extra layer of flavour. 

With something this versatile, a couple of jars are a store-cupboard essential. 

What are medlars? 

A close up of recently picked medlars.

Medlars are the fruit of the medlar tree, a small flowering ornamental tree popular with gardeners. The fruits are about the size of small apples, and range from golden yellow to a blush red when rip. They have a distinctive indentation that to some resembles a dog’s backside. They are inedible when picked, and need to be bletted. 

The combination of a little extra effort and a quirky appearance may account for why they have fallen out of fashion in recent times. They were popular in the classical world, however, through the renaissance, and into the 19th century. 

A close up of medlars on a medlar tree.

Where can I find medlars? 

This can be a little tricky. The fruit is ripe in October and November in the UK, when they turn from a light yellow to a golden colour. It’s best to store them in a cool, dry place not touching each other for six weeks before using to allow them to mature. 

Greengrocers may well be able to order some in when they’re ripe, or an online search for “buy medlars” can show suppliers. 

What is bletting and why should I blet medlars?

8 medlars, 4 pale & unbletted, 4 dark brown and bletted.

Bletting is a process beyond ripening on the tree that is necessary before you can eat certain fruit – mostly persimmon, quince and medlars, which are generally too hard and acidic to be of much use without bletting. For some fruits, such as rowan berries, bletting is necessary to break down toxins before they can be eaten. 

Bletting can begin on the tree and continues when the medlar fruit is stored in a cool, dark place, the acidity breaks down and the flesh becomes softer and sweeter. 

How to blet medlar fruit

To blet your medlars spread them out on trays, or newspaper lined boxes, and stored in a cool, dry, dark place covered with a cloth, and they’ll gradually turn from yellow/blush red colours to dark reds and browns.

The fruit also softens at the same time. Keep an eye on the fruit; you’ll find some progressing faster than others. A bletted medlar can turn from bletted to mouldy very quickly, so keep an eye on them!

A well bletted medlar is sweet enough to eat raw with a spoon. You can freeze the fruit once bletted.

I find that using a mixture of bletted and unbletted fruit gives a jelly that sets well and has good flavour, so once most of the fruit is ready, you can make your jelly, keeping the remaining firm fruit in the mix.  

How to make medlar jelly – recipe step-by-step

First, blet the medlars. I make medlar jelly with three quarters fully bletted fruit, and one quarter unbletted or only slightly bletted.

Brown bletted and pale unbletted medlars cut open on a chopping board, surrounded by more fruit.

Step one – Cut the medlars, into quarters. You don’t need to core or peel them. Likewise, wash and chop the apple. 

You can clearly see the difference between the bletted and non bletted medlars.

Medlars cooking in water in a preserving pan or large casserole

Step  two – Add medlars, apple and the water to a large saucepan, and simmer gently until all the fruit is soft.  It looks quite unappetising at this stage, but stay with me!

Medlar juice draining from cooked fruit. The fruit is in a jelly bag.

Step three – Strain the fruit through a jelly bag suspended over a bowl. For the clearest results, don’t poke the jelly bag! Leave it for at least 12 hours, until juice stops dripping through. Although the juice will look cloudy, boiling it together with the sugar will give you a clear, bright medlar jelly. 

Measuring out medlar juice and sugar before making jelly.

Step four – Weigh the juice, and weigh out three quarters of the weight of juice in sugar. Pour the juice into a large saucepan, and add the sugar and lemon juice. You want the juice to be less than half way up the saucepan to give room for boiling. 

A saucepan of jelly with a layer of scum on the top, ready to be removed.

Step five – Return the juice to a large sauce pan, add the sugar and gently heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Skim off any scum. 

Step six – Place jam jars in a baking tray and warm in an oven set to 140°C / 275°F / GM 1. 

Step seven – Turn up the heat to maximum to a rolling boil. Start testing for set.

How to test for setting point

There are three methods you can use to test for setting.

  • First, the wrinkle test. Drop a teaspoonful of the liquid onto one of your chilled plates and leave it for a few seconds. Then push the drop of jelly with your fingernail to see whether the jelly wrinkles. If it does, your medlar jelly will set and can be transferred into the hot jars and sealed.
  • Second, temperature. Watch the temperature of the boiling liquid. Keep boiling until it reaches 105°C – the setting point. You can use a jam thermometer for this; they’re easily available and not expensive. 
  • Third, the flake test. Take a spoonful of jelly from the saucepan, and turn the spoon vertical so that the jelly runs out of the spoon. When it starts to thicken, a flake of jelly will hang from the edge of the spoon, showing that you have reached the setting point.
Setting medlar jelly - boiling the jelly at 105C.

Step eight – Once the setting point has been reached, take the jelly off the heat. Skim off any remaining scum. 

Medlar jelly being poured into jars using a glass jug and jam funnel.

Step nine– Fill the warmed jars. I find the best way is to use a glass jug and a jam funnel.

Five out of six jam jars full of golden orange clear medlar jelly, ready for lids.

I warm and fill my jars in a roasting dish as a precaution, as in the unlikely event of a jar breaking or cracking it will keep any spills contained. 

Putting the lids onto filled jars of medlar jelly.

Step ten – Screw on the lids, taking care, as the jars will be very hot. Allow the jelly to cool. As it does so, the lids will pop down as the vacuum forms. Label and store in a dark cupboard. 

Hints and tips for making medlar jelly

  • Most of your fruit needs to be bletted. Don’t try to make this medlar jelly recipe with fruit that is all straight from the tree or it will be inedible. 
  • Don’t overcook the fruit, or the flavour of the final jelly will be lost. Just simmer the fruit gently. 
  • Never poke or squeeze the bag, as this will result in cloudy jelly.
  • If your medlars are bletted and need cooking but you don’t have time to make the jelly right away, then cook and strain and either keep the juice in the fridge for a day or two, or freeze and make the jelly later. 
  • For best results, tap the jam jar as you fill it, so that any air bubbles come out. It is best to make jelly with straight sided jars. Put the lids back on the jars while still hot, to help seal them tight. 
  • For safety, I always stand the jars in a tray when filling them in case one cracks. This has only happened to me once, but having a tray to catch any hot jelly is far safer. 
  • Use any plain white sugar – granulated or caster. You don’t need preserving sugar as there is plenty of pectin in the lemon juice and fruit.
Golden orange medlar jelly in a small dish. A full jam jar in the background.
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Close up of medlar jelly on a toasted crumpet
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4 from 1 vote

Medlar Jelly

Medlar jelly is easy to make from this lesser known fruit. Perfect on toast, served with cheese or cold meats, or to sweeten stews and gravies.  Hunt out some medlars in late autumn and get jellying!  Just three ingredients and no pectin needed. 
Servings: 6 jars (about 4 cups)
Author: Helen Best-Shaw
Prep Time15 mins
Cook Time30 mins
Straining Time12 hrs
Total Time12 hrs 45 mins
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Ingredients

  • 1.4 kg medlars
  • 1 apple (or a handful of crab apples)
  • ½ lemon
  • 1.2 litres water (see recipe )
  • granulated sugar (see recipe for quantities)

Instructions

  • Allow the fruit to blet, by placing them in a cool, dry place in a single layer. They're ready to be made into jelly when about ¾ of your medlars are dark brown and soft.
  • Cut the fruit and apple into quarters. Add to a large saucepan with the water.
  • Bring to the boil and simmer gently until all the fruit (including the unbletted fruit and the apple) is soft. This will take about 15–20 minutes.
  • Spoon the fruit into a jelly bag and suspend it over a bowl to catch the juice. Leave to drain for about 12 hours, until no more is dripping out. Don't poke or squeeze the bag.
  • Weigh the juice, and weigh out 75% of the fruit weight in sugar. Add juice, sugar and lemon juice to a large saucepan. The saucepan should be no more than half full.
  • Place clean jam jars in the oven, and heat to 140°C / Gas Mark 1. Place the lids in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
  • Heat the saucepan gently to dissolve the sugar.
  • Once the sugar has dissolved, increase the heat to bring the jelly to a rolling boil. Start testing for set, using either wrinkle, flake or temperature method.
  • Once setting point has been reached, take the jelly off the heat.
  • Fill the jam jars with jelly, and screw on the lids. Allow to cool. Store on a cool, dark shelf.

Notes

NOTE – Use one apple, half a lemon and 1 lb sugar for every 3 lbs of medlars.
  • Don’t overcook the fruit, or the flavour of the final jelly will be lost. Just simmer the fruit gently. 
  • Never poke or squeeze the bag, as this will result in cloudy jelly.
  • If your medlars need cooking but you don’t have time to make the jelly right away, then cook and strain and either keep the juice in the fridge for a few days, or freeze and make the jelly later. 
  • For best results, tap the jam jar as you fill it, so that any air bubbles come out. Put the lids back on the jars while still hot, to help seal them tight. 
  • For safety, I always stand the jars in a tray when filling them in case one cracks.  This has only happened to me once, but having a tray to catch and hot jelly is far safer. 
  • Use plain white sugar – granulated or caster. You don’t need preserving sugar as the lemon juice contains enough pectin. 
Nutritional Information 
  • This recipe is 1 Weight Watchers Point per portion 
• Please note that the nutrition information provided below is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
• Unless stated otherwise cup conversions have been made with an online tool. For accuracy please check with your favoured conversion tool. We recommend buying inexpensive digital kitchen scales.
Nutrition Facts
Medlar Jelly
Amount Per Serving
Calories 18 Calories from Fat 9
% Daily Value*
Fat 1g2%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 1g
Sodium 1mg0%
Potassium 45mg1%
Carbohydrates 5g2%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 3g3%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 18IU0%
Vitamin C 6mg7%
Calcium 4mg0%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Course: Jams and Preserves, Preserving
Cuisine: Traditional British
Keyword: medlar jelly, medlar jelly recipe
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Filed Under: Autumn, British, Easy Jam, Jelly & Preserve Recipes, Recipes Ingredients: Lemon Juice, Medlars, Sugar

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  1. Jacqueline Filkins

    4 stars
    Clear instructions and fuss free recipe. Thank you!

    Reply

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