Uses and abuses of quince

We have been regularly getting a good crop of quinces and this year is no exception. Although it might be tempting to do so when picked straight off the tree, they can't be eaten raw with enjoyment like an apple or pear; they are hard and bitter. Quinces have to be processed in some way to make them palatable. 

So-called 'quince cheese', or membrilllo, is worth the effort as is quince jelly. Quince 'and something' jam also goes down well and visitors will often leave with a jar. Quince added to apple pies are extra appetising. They also go well in apple crumble. Janet adds a star anise and some orange zest as well, plus an oat-based topping, which all really elevate an otherwise ordinary dessert.  

All of these approaches make good use of the quince and one of, for me, its major attractions. That is, the fruit's fragrance which you can sort of taste.

This year Janet tried something else as a means of utilising the quince and extending their enjoyment beyond harvest time. Quince chunks seeped in a syrup solution with cloves, similar to what might be done with pears. With the addition of ice cream or custard, an easy dessert.

   

Shepherd's Calendar

Today we commenced the start of a new sheep keeping year. The breeding ewes were joined by the ram. Some sorting out was needed first. I had to bring all the ewes into the barn and separate out the three ewes that were unintentionally 'caught' and produced July-born lambs, as well as the three lambs of course. 

The remaining ewes (nine of them this year) were led out to the field where they will remain for the rest of this year. It is a slightly smaller field so the ram has potentially less chasing to do.

I then had to separate out one of our two rams who will service the ewes. This will be his first year on the job. Always a trickier operation as the two rams tend to stick close together and are more pushy and stronger compared to the ewes. Some deft manipultaion succeeded in extracting the correct ram who was led off to join the ewes. He will remain with them for exactly 4 weeks so that we know more or less when to expect lambs to arrive and the likely final date: 7th March to 3rd April 2025, give or take a couple of days - sheep usually give birth within two days of the expected date of delivery. The regular gestation period is 145 days.

The three ewes and their Summer born lambs were put into a separate area to continue to put on condition.

Our second ram is being hired out to a Wiltshire Horn sheep keeper in Lavenham, as he was last year with good results.   

This is a cycle that is being repeated all over the country and one that has been much the same for centuries.

Ewes before being sorted