The seeds contain nitriles and when eaten, our stomach acid causes some of the nitriles to be hydrolyzed which in turn produce hydrogen cyanide which is a volatile gas! Toxic if eaten in large quantities!! Luckily the chances on overeating in the Quince department is probably pretty minimal!!
In places like Malta, Afghanistan and various parts of the Middle East it is used for medicinal purposes for ailments like pneumonia,intestinal discomfort and to treat sore throats and to relieve coughs.
In the Canary Islands and some places in South America, a quince is used to play an informal beach toss-and-swim game, usually among young teens. When mixed with salt water, a mature quince will turn its sour taste to sweet. The game is played by throwing a quince into the sea. All players race to catch the quince and whoever catches it, takes one bite and tosses the quince again, then the whole process gets repeated until the quince is fully eaten!!!!!!! How bizarre!
Among the ancient Greeks, the quince was a ritual offering at weddings, for it had come from Aphrodite and remained sacred to her. Plutarch reported 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"
Interesting really! Not that it makes me any more excited about it though!
Aside from that as a full on Wintry day is about to hit us, the garden has survived Summer quite well. Apart from dry patches on the lawns where obviously the huge slabs of rock are close to the surface, the place has remained reasonably green.
The Walnut Tree is now dropping Walnuts and soon doubt will be shedding its leaves. l think we might need a Blower Vac machine for that!!! There's going to be a lot of leaves!!
And little Pushka. without doubt the least demanding member of this menagerie. l think she was intently staring at a mouse or rat amongst the flowers as she didn't look my way or move a muscle as l took her photo!
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