Quinces have been grown for centuries, a fruit that is a quiet king of the orchard, a truly magnificent fruit. Here in England they are misunderstood, overlooked and underused, so get out and find your quince he may look like a frog but once you cook it it turns into a prince. Something as simple as adding quince to an apple pie, will change your taste buds forever. It is like nothing on this earth will ever be the same again.
Quince has always been the pinnacle of the year for me - although I have other fruit to pick and more than enough plums, pears, apples and hedgerow fruit to turn into jam, but I can hardly await the moment of the quince.
He normally ripens at the end of an orchard year. He makes us wait until October and sometimes even November. A crowning glory of the orchard garden, if the seasons play by the books and the weather plays her part, he arrives like an ugly duckling awkward and very different! Growing in form, just like a misshapen pear, sometimes resembling that of a teardrop.
He has pale yellow soft skin that covers an unusually hard fruit, but once you have managed to peel and chop into its flesh his beauty and scent will intoxicate you, but be warned once you have cooked this remarkable, unique fruit and witness how it gives up its beauty and it shines and glows, you will be addictive, and forever under it’s spell.
So as I turn fruit into a jam and below I have shared my mum’s recipe with you.
For this recipe your need the usual equipment a large pan, wooden spoon, glass jars, lids, a jelly bag and stand. (if you don’t have a stand you can always tie it to an upturned stool, or chair.)
This recipe is similar to crab apple jelly, it the fact you just need to check your quinces for disease and bruises and add them to a pan and cover with enough water to boil them into a pulp.
I have given a weight but to be honest the weight of the fruit before cooking really is not important, so long as you have a fair amount of fruit to cover the bottom of your pan.
- 1kg of quince chopped (no need to peel or core)
- enough water to cover the quinces
- sugar
- Juice of a large lemon
- Brush off any dirt from the fruit and check for bruised or diseased, chop up the quinces (no need to peel or core) and place in pan with enough water to cover the fruit, cook on a low heat until the fruit has turned to mush this can take some time, especially if the fruit is very hard.
- Once cooked place in a jelly bag and drip over night
- Measure the juice and place in a jam pan (or heavy based pan) for each 570ml you will need add 454g of sugar.
- Slowly dissolve the sugar and add the lemon juice.(you could add geranium leaves at this point)
- Once the sugar is dissolved bring to the boil and check for setting point.( I have found that this sets very well and you need to have your jars ready to go)
- Once the sugar has dissolved (about 5-8mins) bring the pan to a rolling boil
- Remove from heat & check for setting point.
- Carefully remove jars from oven.
- Ladle jam into jars seal with clean lids
- Label once cool.
If you have now fallen for the quince, and would like to try something a little more you could simply poach the fruit in a sugar syrup the same as you would do for a pear.
Peel the quinces and slice into 4 add these to a sugar syrup with a vanilla pod
- 4 quinces peeled quartered and cored
- 350g of sugar
- 1 litre of water
- 1 vanilla pod.
- Heat the water, and vanilla sugar until it’s dissolved, add the peeled quinces and slowly bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for about 45-60 mins. ( you could always bake them in the syrup in covered on a low heat for a few hours.)
- Serve with clotted cream.