Quince

Have you ever eaten a quince? The first time I had quince jelly I couldn’t believe how such a peculiar looking hard yellow fruit (like a slightly squashed pear) could yield such a fragrant, delicate, pink jelly. Quinces cannot be eaten raw, they are too tart. But the tannins that cause the tartness in the raw fruit mellow when cooked (and turn the fruit pink). Cooked, a quince transforms into something lovely.

Quinces used to be more popular than they are today; you often can find an odd small quince tree growing in the yard of an old house. But people don’t can as much as they used to and unless you’ve actually had something made with quince, you don’t know what you’re missing. Here are some ideas for what you can make with them:

Simply Recipes

Quince Jelly
Membrillo (quince paste)

Quince Recipes from More Food Blogs

Rosey Poached Quince – Cookbook author and dessert connoisseur David Lebovitz reminds us to be careful when cutting these hard fruit.

Poached Quince with Vanilla and Cinnamon – the The Wednesday Chef.

Quince Jam – from Fethiye of YogurtLand.

Quince with Rosemary and Pine Nut Topping and Quince, Rum and Lime Sauce – Ilva of Lucullian Delights.

Quince and Blueberry Crumble Cake – by Haalo of Cook (almost) Anything at Least Once.

Slow Cooked Whole Quince – Brett of In Praise of Sardines explains why the quince turn so red when they are cooked.

Quince-Raisin Tarte Tatin – from Christine of Christine Cooks.

Quince Tarte Tatin from The Serendipitous Chef.

Sugared Quince Paste – Michelle of an Endless Banquet uses the Chez Panisse fruit cookbook.

Paste of Quinces, or Pâte de Coings – Carolyn of 18thC Cuisine pulls out a recipe from 1716 Paris.

Membrillo to pair with Manchego cheese from Nicky of Delicious Days.

Dulce de Membrillo – Melissa of The Traveler’s Lunchbox cooking from “The Basque Table” cookbook by Teresa Barrenechea.

Quince Pomegranate Cranberry Compote – from Viv of Seattle Bon Vivant.