Tracy Norris
Quinces, apples, and pears have their time in September. The perfect opportunity to fill up your winter supply of fruity quince jelly or enjoy an apple and pear chutney with delicious cheese.
The most popular fruit: the apple
“An apple a day keeps the doctor away” is the saying, an apple a day keeps the doctor away. The apple is one of the most popular types of fruit in Germany. Each of us eats around 250 apples a year. This not only means the fresh apples, but also the apples in the apple pie, apple strudel, in applesauce, or apple chips. But not all apples are the same. About 1000 different apple varieties are represented in our homeland. The Gala, Jonagold, Braeburn, and Elstar varieties are among the most well-known.
The apple is colloquially called “nature’s toothbrush”. There is a lot of valuable pectin in its shell and it is also rich in essential fruit acids. Apples taste good every day and on every occasion: as a snack during breaks, after sport – or for cooking, roasting, and baking.
Sweet and juicy: pears
The pear belongs to the pome fruit family. As a pome fruit, the pear, therefore, has many valuable vitamins and minerals, such as vitamin C or calcium. Pears generally contain a little more fructose but less acid than apples, for example. They are therefore considered to be easy on the stomach and easier to digest than other types of fruit. As with the apple, most of the vitamins are under the skin of the pear, so it is best to eat the fruit washed and unpeeled.
There are countless varieties of pears. Lovers of high-proof drinks are probably most familiar with the Williams Christ variety, from which the fruit brandy of the same name is also made. The fruit for this Obstler usually comes from meadow orchards whose fruit is not suitable as table fruit. In addition to the usual table pears, there are also cooking pears. These are not suitable for raw consumption, they first have to be cooked, as the name suggests. Cooked pears are ideal for a compote or as a sweet ingredient in savory dishes.
The fluffy fruit: quince
At first glance, many confuse the quince with an apple or a pear. But the quince connoisseurs immediately recognize that the fluffy fruit is a quince. A distinction is made between the somewhat tart apple quince and the somewhat milder pear quince. Unlike its close relatives, the apples and pears, the quince has to be cleaned of its oily down and cooked before it can be eaten. After that, however, it can develop its fruity aroma freely and is perfect for making jams, jellies, and juices. It is also good in a variety of sweet and savory dishes.
The quince has been a tried and tested remedy for digestive problems and inflammation of all kinds since ancient times. The many minerals and trace elements ensure good oxygen transport and promote cell metabolism.
So get in the kitchen, get set, go! The quince is in season until November and has a particularly fruity aroma when it witnesses the first frost. In addition, it is then easier to process.
