Lisa Pohtella, age 10, of Utica, N.Y., for her question:

CAN YOU EAT A RAW QUINCE?

Quince is a shrub or small tree that is closely related to the apple and pear. The fragrant, fuzzy fruit is round to pear shaped and is golden yellow. Its flesh is very hard but the fruit has an acid taste and it is almost never eaten while fresh or raw.

Quince is almost exclusively used to make marmalades and jellies. It is also at times used in combination with other fruits in preserves.

Orginally found only in Central Asia, quince has been cultivated since ancient times. Most of the trees in the United States are grown in California, New York, Michigan and Pennsylvania. New York grows most of the U.S. quince crop.

Qunice can be grown from hardwood cuttings. A part of a young branch is placed in the soil with its tip above the ground. It then sprouts roots and shoots.

When growing, the quince has many large, pinkish white flowers and twisted branches.

The flowering Japanese quince has showy red flowers, many twisted branches and fruit that is very sour.