Great way how to use quinces

Quinces are a wonderful and tasty and many people see it as some kind of a “cross” between an apple and a pear. Well, that is basically correct, but the reality is a bit more complicated. Quinces are different from apples and pears. You cannot eat raw quinces due to their bitter taste and you have to cook or bake the fruit first. Many people prepare marmalades, jams or juices from quinces and often combine it with other fruits.

Autumn fruit

Common quince (Cydonia oblonga) is a tree that you will not see often in east European gardens and that is a shame because once you try a marmalade, jam or quince liqueur, you will love it. The fruit is very hard even during the harvest season but you can tell that the fruit is ripe if you smell the typical delicate fruity aroma. Once cooked, it becomes soft and turns rusty orange. Now, you have a soft fruit loved by people all over the world. Easy, right?

Photo: Pixabay

Marmalade or jam?

Do you know the difference between marmalade and jam? Some people think the difference is that one is finely blended and the other contains chunks of fruit, but that is only partially true. Marmalade should have at least 20% citrus fruit. Jams should contain less citruses and must contain at least 35% of fruit pieces.

Quince marmalade

To make quince marmalade you will need the following:

• 1.75 kg of quince
• 5 cups of water,
• 5 lemons,
• 6 cups of sugar.

Wash quince well. Cut the fruit into quarters and remove all stones but do not throw them away. Wrap stones in a fine cloth – you will cook the stones together with the fruit. Now, cut the fruit into cubes. Get a large pot, put the cubes in including the stones wrapped in the cloth, add thinly sliced lemons and water. Simmer gently for 45 to 60 minutes. Add sugar and cook briefly until the mixture reaches the desired consistency. Remove the bag with stones, blend well and fill glasses with the mixture.

Quince jam

Quince jam with pieces of fruit is a very tasty option. You will need the following:

• 1 kg quince,
• 500 g of sugar,
• 1 lemon,
• 1 piece of whole cinnamon,
• 2 star anise.

Wash and peel the fruit, but do not throw away the skins. Cut the fruit into quarters and remove the stones. Put the stones and the peel in a bag as before. Get a pot and pour in 300 ml of water and add sugar. Cook until the sugar dissolves. When it does, remove the stones and skins. Grate lemon skin and squeeze out the juice. Now, boil quince cubes in another pot with a little water and lemon juice. When done, take the cubes out, use a slotted ladle to do so, and put them in the sugar water. Add the grinded lemon skin, cinnamon and star anise. Cook gently for 30 minutes. The jam should have the desired density. Remove the spices and fill the mixture into jars.

Source: https://www.thespruceeats.com/quince-marmalade-recipe-1808119

Preview photo: Pixabay