Quince, Fruit
The quince (Cydonia oblonga) is the only species in genus Cydonia of family Rosaceae. It is related to the apples and pears. Quince is native to warm-temperate areas of southwest Asia. Turkey is the biggest quince producer in the world, producing a quarter of total world production. Quince is a self-fertile, small deciduous tree, growing 5-8 m tall and 4-6 m spread. The leaves are alternate, simple, 6-11 cm long, with an entire margin. The leaves are densely pubescent with fine white hairs. The five-petaled white or pink flowers, 5 cm in diameter, are produced in spring after the leaves turned white or pink. Quince is resistant to frost and requires a cold period below 7 °C to flower properly. The immature fruit is green with densely gray-white pubescent, most of which rubs off before maturity in late autumn. Quince turns golden yellow when mature, pear-shaped, 7-12 cm long and 6-9 cm wide. Quince are seldom eaten raw as they are too hard, astringent and sour, and consume only if they are 'bletted' (softened by frost and subsequent decay). Quince can be peeled, then roasted, baked or stewed, or make into jam, jelly and quince pudding. Prolong cooking will turn the flesh red.  Quince Author: Dietrich Krieger (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported) | ||
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