cooking with quinces

The fruit from quince trees is transformed into tasty treats when it spends some time simmering away on the stove or softening in the oven. Cooking times for these recipes will vary, sometimes significantly, depending on the size and tenderness of the fruit. Add water if the mixture looks too dry.

QUINCE JELLY

A deep, glowing red, this is possibly the most superlative of all jellies.

1kg quinces white sugar

1 Slice and core unpeeled quinces. Place in a saucepan, cover with water, and simmer for an hour or until very soft. Add more water only if boiling dry. 2 Strain the pulp, keeping the liquid. I put mine through a strainer, then pour the juice through a clean stocking.

The more finely you strain out the pulp, the clearer your jelly will be.

3 Pour the juice back into the saucepan. For every cup of juice, add 1 cup of sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves.

4 Simmer, stirring often, until a little of the mixture dabbed onto a cold saucer turns into jelly.

5 Divide among sterilised jars, and seal.

QUINCE PASTE

To make quince paste, which is an exceptional delight with cheese, use the quince jelly recipe (above), but simmer the mixture for a further 30 minutes or so until a little sets firmly on a saucer. Pour the mixture onto a greased tray. When set, cut the paste into squares.

QUINCE & APPLE SAUCE

Use as a jam or chutney (great with pork or turkey), serve with pancakes or ice-cream, or scoff the lot the same night.

6 quinces

6 apples

1 bottle apple cider 3 tablespoons sugar zest of 1 orange and 1 lemon

1 In a saucepan, simmer all ingredients until broken down and mixture is thick. Add water if it becomes too dry before fruit is tender. Stir well so it doesn’t stick. 2 Divide among sterilised jars, and seal.

BAKED QUINCES

Peel, core, halve and bake quinces in a moderate oven for an hour or until soft. They are delicious stuffed with feta.

STEWED QUINCES quinces star anise or cardamom seeds,

to taste (optional) sugar or pale honey, to taste dash of orange water (optional)

1 Peel, core and slice quinces. Place in a saucepan or ovenproof casserole dish (including the peel and cores, which add a lot of colour). Cover with water. Add star anise or cardamom seeds if desired. 2 Simmer in a saucepan over a stovetop, or cook in a casserole dish in a low oven, for an hour or until quinces are soft. The pale yellow slices turn to pink then red.

3 Add sugar or honey, then simmer for 5 minutes to allow syrup to thicken.

4 Fish out the peel and cores, then add orange water if desired.