Quinces

Visually positioned between pear and apple, the quince (Cydonia oblonga) is quite unknown in this country. The plant, which is cultivated as a fruit tree in Europe among other places, belongs to the pome fruit family, a subtribe of the rose family. People have known it as a medicinal plant since ancient times, but this effect has since been forgotten, even though the quince is very healthy.

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Originally native to the eastern Caucasus, the quince soon spread far to the west and south as far as Syria and Afghanistan, probably with the help of humans. Today, its cultivation area is mostly in Europe and Asia. In this country, it thrives as a warmth-loving shrub or tree in rather southern regions.

The plant is one of the oldest known fruit varieties and as such is considered very healthy in nutrition. This is due to the many nutrients contained in the fruits. In addition, quinces have relatively few calories – for example, fewer than apples. But be careful: only some varieties are edible raw. Otherwise, it tastes rather bitter and sour when raw. It is also very woody when uncooked. Experience the healthy effects of quince preferably by processing it into delicious quince jam. Quince is also healthy cooked, baked, and fried. There are many recipes for this.

People already knew that quince was healthy in ancient times. Even then, people used it as a medicinal plant with a wide range of uses. The fruit is said to support digestion, help with colds, and heal skin inflammations. In folk medicine, quince is especially healthy in the form of the seeds. But leaves and fruits also unfold healing powers.

What makes quince healthy is mainly its rich arsenal of important ingredients. These include minerals and trace elements such as potassium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese, and fluorine, as well as a lot of vitamin C, A, and folic acid. The fruit even contains more vitamin C than an apple. The seeds have a fairly high content of mucilaginous substances at 20 percent, which are believed to be responsible for the healthy effect.

The quince tree resembles the related apple and pear trees and reaches heights of three to eight meters. However, the quince’s flowers are larger than those of its well-known relatives. It takes four to eight years before the tree bears fruit for the first time.

The seeds of the quince contain hydrocyanic acid. For this reason, you should never crush them, as this releases the toxic substance.