Rainy day project
Quince charming
“They dined on mince, and slices of quince, which they ate with a runcible spoon…”
THE OWL AND THE PUSSY-CAT BY EDWARD LEAR
If you’ve never cooked with this seductive fruit, now is the time.
Quinces look as if they’ve tumbled out of a Renaissance painting, with a delicate fuzz on their surface and an intense apple-citrus aroma, yet they remain lesser known for three reasons: you can’t eat them raw (rock hard), they’re only available in autumn and you don’t generally find them on supermarket shelves. BUT seek them out in farmers’ markets or online and the love affair will begin. Quinces have a high pectin level, which makes them ideally suited to preserves: jelly and paste for the cheeseboard or fillings for pies and tarts that set beautifully.
Wet Saturday?
Your kitchen is calling…
Try quince jelly with roast game – or simply spread on toast
PHOTOGRAPHS, RECIPES AND STYLING: THE TAVERNE AGENCY
Quince jelly
Makes About 500ml
Hands-on
time 20 min, plus overnight straining and cooling
Simmering
time 2½-2¾ hours
You’ll
also
need Large jelly bag or sieve lined with 3-4 layers of muslin; large wide saucepan; sterilised glass jars and lids (search ‘how to sterilise jars’ at deliciousmagazine.co.uk)
MAKE
AHEAD
Store the sealed jelly
in a cool dark place for up to 1 year. Keep in the
fridge after opening and use within 1 month.
DON’T
WASTE
IT
Reserve the quince pulp
for quince paste or jam.
Rinse and dry the vanilla pod, then use to flavour sugar.
• 1.5kg quinces (7-8), peeled and roughly chopped into 3-4cm pieces (leave in the cores/pips and reserve the peel)
• 800g-1.2kg caster sugar
• 10g fresh ginger (about a 5cm piece), peeled and thinly sliced
• ½ vanilla pod, seeds scraped
• 8 tbsp lemon juice
1 Put the quinces, their peel and 2 litres water in a large pan. Bring to the boil, then cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for 2 hours or until the fruit is very soft. Spoon the quinces and liquid into a jelly bag/muslin set over a large pan. Set aside to strain for at least 12 hours or overnight. Don’t be tempted to squeeze it or the jelly will be cloudy.