Quince, perhaps the quince tree that gives us the quince fruit that reminds us of autumn and sadness with its yellow color but is consumed with pleasure both raw and cooked, is from the Rosaceae family. The homeland of the quince tree is not known for sure, and wild examples have been found in Iran, the Caucasus, Crimea, Greece and surrounding regions. In many parts of the world, quince is either not produced at all or produced very little.
Turkey is one of the leading countries in quince production. The quince tree, which lives for 50-60 years in suitable soils, can grow up to 5-6 m tall independently, but it usually grows in the form of a large bush or small tree, 2.5-3.5 m tall, growing in a pit.
Its branches are sparse. Its short-stemmed leaves are round, roundish or elliptical, the upper surface is dark green, the lower surface is light green and has fine hairs like cotton, and the edges are smooth. Its light pink and sometimes white flowers, which bloom in late March and early April, are 4-6 cm in diameter and resemble wild roses. Its fruit, which ripens in autumn, resembles apples and pears. But it is larger, yellow, hard or crispy depending on the variety, bittersweet and fragrant.
The number of soft seeds varies between 20-40. Quince fruit varieties are very few compared to pears and apples. The reason for this is that extensive breeding studies have not been carried out on quince varieties. Important quince varieties are bread quince, sugar (crisp) quince, lemon quince, tekkeş quince and glass quince. Quince is eaten fresh or cooked in ashes, as well as being consumed as meat dishes, desserts, jams, marmalades and compotes. Quince can be stored in refrigerators for three months without spoiling.
NUTRITIONAL VALUES
The nutritional values of 100 g. sliced fresh quince are as follows: 57 calories; 0.4 g. protein; 15.3 carbohydrates; 0 cholesterol; 0.1 g. fat; 1.7 g. fiber: 17 mg. phosphorus; 11 mg. calcium; 0.7 mg. iron; 4 mg. sodium; 40 IU vitamin A; 0.02 mg. vitamin B1; 0.03 mg. vitamin B2; 0.2 mg. vitamin B3 and 15 mg. vitamin C.
BENEFITS TO OUR HEALTH
In addition to the important nutritional values listed above;
Quince fruit is stomachic: When eaten raw (uncooked), it provides constipation. If eaten cooked in ashes or made into compote, this time it is good for diarrhea.
Quince fruit seeds have beneficial effects on health: When taken in large quantities and boiled in water, the resulting decoction is given to children to cure diarrhea, and gargles to relieve sore throats. When used externally, this decoction is good for cracked lips and breasts, and eczema.
Quince flowers stop heart palpitations: For this, drink 2-3 glasses a day of the decoction obtained by boiling the flowers of the quince tree.
The leaves of the quince tree are useful in stopping coughs: For this, a decoction is obtained by boiling the tender leaves of the tree and drinking 2-3 glasses a day. In addition, taking this decoction reduces a mild fever and calms excessive irritability.
