Autumn fruits

One of things I love about this part of the world is the abundance of fruit all year round. Trees that are tricky to cultivate in northern Europe grow like weeds in this rich, clay soil blessed with year round sunshine. On one side of our property a huge fig tree has grown from nothing in the four years we have lived in this house. In the summer figs hang voluptuously from the countless trees that line the country lanes and nobody minds if they are eaten by passersby – they can never be consumed quickly enough, even by the large Italian families they are owned by.

In October one fruit that decorates the autumn trees like huge orange Christmas baubles is the Kaki, known as persimmon in English. Eaten straight off the tree the fruit has a weird affect on the inside of your mouth, almost as though all the moisture has been stripped out of it. That is due to the large amounts of pectin found naturally in the fruit if left to mature on the tree. To avoid this they are picked when they are still slightly unripe and left to ripen in the house. Sharon fruits, as found in UK supermarkets, are a popular variety of the same fruit, ripened instead by the use of chemicals.

The kaki tree, like the fig, grows easily. In fact a non fruit bearing wild variety literally grows like a weed. They need to be cut back quickly or can be a real pain to get rid of and have a nasty habit of getting inside Antonio’s tractor and breaking it. Or instead they can be allowed to grow into a tree and then have the fruit bearing variety grafted on.

Another fruit tree that grows like a weed is the mele cotogne, or quince. We also have one of these on our property that has sprung up from nowhere in the time we have lived here and it is currently heavy with fruit that looks a bit like a gnarly yellow pear. They can’t be eaten raw but cooked have a flavour and perfume similar to apple.

It is an ancient fruit with many references in ancient Greek literature. I read on wiki that ‘Plutarch reports that a Greek bride would nibble a quince to perfume her kiss before entering the bridal chamber, "in order that the first greeting may not be disagreeable nor unpleasant" (Roman Questions 3.65).

Like the Kaki it is also high in natural pectin meaning that it is great for jam making. In fact, the word marmalade originates from the Portuguese name for this fruit marmelo. The fruit turns red after extensive cooking and here in Puglia they make a very dense, red jelly out of it that is cut in small diamond shaped slices and eaten on its own as a type of sweet. I have to admit is not to my taste although it could be interesting to make a similar, slightly softer version as an accompaniment to a roast pork, or as a basis for a chutney. Now’s the time to experiment as I have a free load on my doorstep and it seems a shame to let it all go to waste.