What can I do with quinces?

[Sarah Chana]

I have 3 quinces sitting in my fridge, begging for attention. Any ideas?

[kodi_inoz]

Quince Paste

You need:
2 kg quinces
2 lemons - juiced and strained
castor sugar
2 cinnamon sticks

Method:
Wash the down off the quinces and chop roughly - we don't bother to peel or core at this point. Place quinces in a saucepan with 4 cups of water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer until soft.

Drain off the excess water and push the fruit through a sieve. Weigh the quince puree and place an equal amount of sugar and the cinnamon sticks with the puree in a clean saucepan.

Stir over low heat, then increase heat and boil until the mixture turns pink. When the mixture begins to thicken you will need to stir constantly so the paste doesn't burn.

Pour the paste into a plastic takeaway containers. When cool place the lids on the containers and stand in warm place for 12 hours. The quince paste can be kept in dry storage for about 12 months if it is airtight.

This is a great addition to a cheese board.

[Mme M]

This is a regional, family-style treatment of quince that comes to you from the Dordogne in France. You make both jelly and jelly candies. It's metric, sorry!

1. Quince Jelly

5 kg peeled, quartered quince
All seeds from the quince
5 or 6 kg sugar
3 liters water
200 grams fine sugar
50 grams pectin

Put the quince seeds in some cloth you can tie up. Cook the quince in (slightly) boiling water about an hour, and cook the wrapped up seeds along with it. The seeds will provide gelling capabilities along with the pectin. Add the 50 grams of pectin to the water, also.

At the end of the cooking period, pour the pot's contents into a tea towel** lined sieve that you have resting on top of a large bowl. Squeeze the towel with all its pulp when it is cool enough to handle, and put this pulp aside for the (pate de coing) quince jelly candies you will be making.

Now, weigh the liquid quince jelly in the large bowl, then measure an equal amount of sugar for it. Next, weigh the pulp, then weigh an equal amount of sugar for that, and blend this combination of pulp and sugar thoroughly.

Put the sugar for the liquid jelly into a pot, and heat it, stirring, until melted. Add the jelly, and cook it, stirring occasionally, until it is all blended, and let it bubble slightly for 3 minutes or so. Turn off the heat. While it is still warm, but not too hot to handle, fill prepared jelly jars. Put the cap on the jars, screw on the outer lid, then turn the jars upside down on a cloth. When the jars are cool, stand them upright. They are ready to store or sterilize.

2. Pate de Coings - Quince Jelly Candies

Take the pulp/sugar blend, and pour into a shallow casserole dish. Smooth the pulp until it is flat and even.

Put this into a slow oven until the excess wetness is dried out, until the mixture is set and is like all the other jellies (pates) you have eaten. Then, take it out of the oven, cool it, remove it from the pan, then cut into the shapes of your choice. It could be squares, matchsticks, whatever. Roll these pieces in the fine sugar. Store them in tins, or eat them up!

**Use clean tea towels, or drying cloths, that have been dried without fabric softener!

[Zurie]

Oooohhhh -- I didn't see this thread earlier. Quinces ... such a memory of youth! My mother made quince jelly, and I see a recipe has been supplied.

Otherwise, I remember Mom coring and removing the seed core, stuffing the quinces with some sweet chopped dried fruits (maybe dates as well, as quinces are tart) and then baking them in a dish half filled with honeyed or sweetened water. The soft, cracked-skin quinces would be served with sweet custard. Delicious.

[duonyte]

I've posted these, Quince Paste , (if you have a breadmaker with a jam setting) and Pink Wine Quince Compote , which is one of my favorites. The compote is for a rice cooker, but could just as easily be made in a saucepan, you'd just have to watch it a bit.

Edited: Oops, did not realize this post is a bit older, I'm sure you've used them by now. I have a quince tree in the yard. Usually I get buckets of fruit, but this was an off year - just a few fruit.