Is the ornamental quince suitable for the home garden?
The fast-growing Chinese ornamental quince is ideal for planting a hedge, while the Japanese ornamental quince sets pretty accents in the front yard or border. It harmonizes very well with other plants such as splendid sparrows or the more delicate ornamental cherries. A sunny to partially shaded location is ideal. You can also grow a bonsai from the ornamental quince.
also read
- Can you eat the fruits of the ornamental quince?
- Is the ornamental quince suitable as a bonsai?
- Ornamental quinces are not poisonous, but raw but hardly edible
When are the fruits ripe?
The ornamental quince fruits ripen in autumn, but they remain very hard even then. Only a strong yellow or even reddish color and, above all, an intense aromatic fragrance will show you the maturity of the ornamental quince. Nevertheless, you don't have to hurry with the harvest, because the first frost makes the fruits a little softer and more aromatic. Then they should be harvested and processed quickly.
Are the fruits suitable for raw consumption?
Ornamental quinces are not suitable for raw consumption because they are very hard and also very acidic. The birds in your garden will not be bothered by this. They like to take the quinces left on the tree as additional autumn or winter food. So leave some fruit hanging.
If you have harvested your ornamental quinces before the first frost, you can store the fruits for several weeks or even months. However, the fruits should be stored in a cool and dark place.
How can you prepare the fruit?
Ornamental quince is difficult to squeeze by hand, but the juice is a good substitute for lemon juice because it is similarly acidic and has a high vitamin C content. You can cook a very tasty jelly or jam from the decorative quince. The slightly bitter taste is not for everyone. Therefore a mixture with strawberries or other very sweet fruits is recommended. The high pectin content makes jelly and jam firm.
The essentials in brief:
- Ornamental quinces are edible
- very hard fruits
- a little softer only after the frost
- very angry
- slightly bitter
- contains a lot of vitamin C.
- good for jam and jelly
- high pectin content
- hardly edible raw
Tips
You should not eat your ornamental quinces raw. It is better to cook a tasty jelly or a mixed jam together with strawberries or other sweet fruits. By the way: our word jam comes from the Portuguese word “marmelo” for quince. There, too, they make a delicious jam from these fruits.
