As with medlars, quince are as autumnal as Nick Drake and the scent of burning applewood. Until a few years ago you either had to grow them yourself or know someone who did, but you can find them at more farmers’ markets and in more supermarkets with every year that passes.
I get really obsessive about quince, the most fragrant and bizarre fruit. We have a couple of saplings (bought from Otter Farm, obviously) that aren’t mature enough yet to give us fruit yet so I rely on donations.
As I usually don’t get as many as I’d like, I eke them out quite meanly. I peel & core - not at all fastidiously - and get an annual ‘quince callous’ as a result. In a lean year, I use the ‘scraps’ for jelly, and the flesh for membrillo. As I have loads this year, I’ll also make a couple of batches of liqueur, a few jars of lightly stewed fruit for whatever comes up - it makes incredible stuffing for rolled pork shoulder - and some syrups. This year I’m tempted to try quince cider vinegar too.
I use honey instead of sugar in my preserves because I love the flavour and silky set. You lose some of the gorgeous colours with lighter fruit, but gain a lot from a softer sweetness that really compliments the flavour of the fruit / herbs / spices / flowers involved. I use local raw honey if it’s not being heated (liqueurs, ferments, etc), but shop-bought stuff for cooking.
Thank you for your great comment. We share the quince love! Quince cider vinegar really ought to be on this autumn's list for me too. I agree about honey...I use it in some things too for exactly the reasons you state
This is a wonderful food to keep. It enhances any cheeseboard. Or you can add a couple of cubes of it to a Moroccan tagine. Wine pairing: Gewürztraminer.
More nostalgia! I adore quince. Just a bowlful wonderfully scents a room. Quince jelly with a thin shaving of white truffle suspended in it is a task I set for myself in another life (or so it seems). Long nights spent hovering over jars of hot jelly with a pair of tweezers ….
Perfect and timely, as always. Have you tried the poaching of medlars, quinces etc in the pressure cooker?? It’s an incredible improvement for smallish quantities. Saves loads of time, and some water. The flavour and fragrance is impressive too. I’ve experimented, and for my own, not Eastgate Larder, purposes it’s my ‘go to’ method. Lovely Catherine Phipps...
I haven't and that's largely me resisting learning another way of cooking, partly a I know I'll really take to it and I have to cook 'normally' for my books...BUT I think I can resist no longer!
Yes, I was wondering about this too. The cooking whole method does take too much time, unless you have an aga. I cook my seville oranges whole in a pressure cooker.
Quite agree about autumn and Nick Drake - as soon as the temperature drops and the leaves start crisping, Bryter Layter goes straight in the CD player here! We were lucky enough to snaffle a huge basket of quinces from a neighbour a few weeks ago and now the cupboard is lined with teeny jars of quince cheese, the freezer is full of poached quinces, and we’ve polished off a bottle of quince cordial (and now wish we’d made more). We really must to plant a quince tree of our own - such a special fruit.
I get really obsessive about quince, the most fragrant and bizarre fruit. We have a couple of saplings (bought from Otter Farm, obviously) that aren’t mature enough yet to give us fruit yet so I rely on donations.
As I usually don’t get as many as I’d like, I eke them out quite meanly. I peel & core - not at all fastidiously - and get an annual ‘quince callous’ as a result. In a lean year, I use the ‘scraps’ for jelly, and the flesh for membrillo. As I have loads this year, I’ll also make a couple of batches of liqueur, a few jars of lightly stewed fruit for whatever comes up - it makes incredible stuffing for rolled pork shoulder - and some syrups. This year I’m tempted to try quince cider vinegar too.
I use honey instead of sugar in my preserves because I love the flavour and silky set. You lose some of the gorgeous colours with lighter fruit, but gain a lot from a softer sweetness that really compliments the flavour of the fruit / herbs / spices / flowers involved. I use local raw honey if it’s not being heated (liqueurs, ferments, etc), but shop-bought stuff for cooking.
Thank you for your great comment. We share the quince love! Quince cider vinegar really ought to be on this autumn's list for me too. I agree about honey...I use it in some things too for exactly the reasons you state
This is a wonderful food to keep. It enhances any cheeseboard. Or you can add a couple of cubes of it to a Moroccan tagine. Wine pairing: Gewürztraminer.
Pairing with Gewürztraminer wins the cup! Thank you
More nostalgia! I adore quince. Just a bowlful wonderfully scents a room. Quince jelly with a thin shaving of white truffle suspended in it is a task I set for myself in another life (or so it seems). Long nights spent hovering over jars of hot jelly with a pair of tweezers ….
White truffle in quince jelly! This is a new one on me!
It was so good!
Question: equal volume of sugar to purée and not weight?
Looking forward to trying this when it is ready!
Good question! In practice it's pretty much the same...but yes it should be weight strictly...and I shall be more careful with my accuracy in future!
Catherine says the same, for some of her work she has to cook ‘normally’ …
I’m sneaking the PC method into my own book… as an option of course!!
J x
Perfect and timely, as always. Have you tried the poaching of medlars, quinces etc in the pressure cooker?? It’s an incredible improvement for smallish quantities. Saves loads of time, and some water. The flavour and fragrance is impressive too. I’ve experimented, and for my own, not Eastgate Larder, purposes it’s my ‘go to’ method. Lovely Catherine Phipps...
I haven't and that's largely me resisting learning another way of cooking, partly a I know I'll really take to it and I have to cook 'normally' for my books...BUT I think I can resist no longer!
Yes, I was wondering about this too. The cooking whole method does take too much time, unless you have an aga. I cook my seville oranges whole in a pressure cooker.
I'm going to have to get one aren't I...
Quite agree about autumn and Nick Drake - as soon as the temperature drops and the leaves start crisping, Bryter Layter goes straight in the CD player here! We were lucky enough to snaffle a huge basket of quinces from a neighbour a few weeks ago and now the cupboard is lined with teeny jars of quince cheese, the freezer is full of poached quinces, and we’ve polished off a bottle of quince cordial (and now wish we’d made more). We really must to plant a quince tree of our own - such a special fruit.