Medlars are a hardy fruit that look like a cross between a small apple and a rosehip. When ripe, they’re hard and green. They’re picked at this stage, but aren’t edible until the starches of the ripe Medlar have transformed into sugars. This is a process known as bletting. The hard flesh of the fruit becomes a soft brown paste. Harvested medlars are stored in a cool, dark place until they’re suitably bletted and have developed an aromatic flavour which is reminiscent of butterscotch and fruit mince tarts.