Recently we made another visit to the Mission Garden nestled under “A” Mountain in Tucson. This is where the original gardens of one of the first settlers of Tucson tended an elaborate garden complete with an irrigation system. Having last been to the Mission Garden some years ago when it was in its infancy, it has grown considerably, into a wonderful historical re-creation of the original gardens as best we can know. Volunteers have recently rebuilt the acequia, Irrigation canal, where the original one was found. This is truly a labor of love and an important historical restoration.

The occasion was the Membrillo (Quince) Festival which is held each October. Quince is one of the fruits that was introduced during the era of Father Kino, along with winter wheat, which was instrumental in sustaining the native population year-round. Other fruits, we learned, that were brought over by the Spanish are pomegranate, fig, grape, peaches, and pears. Until that time, the Indians were subsistence farmers, growing corn, beans, and cotton. Thus the pejorative, Papago, or bean eater. These native people now call themselves the Tohono O’Odham. Quince was used for jams, pastes, and jellies and was revered for its pectin.

So, on this beautiful day in mid-October, we set off in search of quince, to partake in the celebration of all its uses. It is fortuitous that the Mission Garden has a new kitchen where they were serving dishes made of quince, mostly on cheese and bread, as well as a salsa made from this enigmatic fruit.

There were plenty of vendors, informational and sales-oriented, mostly having something to do with native gardening in general. There was a talk being given about the origin and history of quince and gardening. We walked around the gardens, which had grown considerably since the last time we were there.

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