love the recipe – regards, your friendly fruit growing gardener. Quince paste ” pâte de coing” is quite a frequent sweet to make at home in this part of France. There’s still heaps left! Wendy – I LOVE mebrillo and am jealous that you have a quince tree. I started with about five pounds of quince, and ended up with just over two quarts of finished paste. My roommate used to buy it at the supermarket and keep it and a salty white cheese they eat a lot down there in the fridge for snacking on. That last picture reminded me of eating it with my mom last year out on the store’s patio. What quinces were exactly, I wasn’t sure. I found that the water amount was too excessive- maybe just half a cup and let the fruit simmer/steam. After 30-45 minutes the paste should be thickening. I was just going to pick up some quince paste. Use a handblender to puree the fruit and water. This looks so good, Wendy! If I see one more quince recipe, I will scream with delight and frustration! As long ago as 1922, the great New York pomologist U. P. Hedrick rued that “the quince… I have never had quince, but have had quince paste – but never homemade! I’m looking forward to giving pieces to friends. (24 hrs in jar). OH QUINCES! But hurry, I think the season ends soon! Your quince looks wonderful; if I can find any in the markets this week, I shall be making some too (since having some paste on hand is partially an excuse to bring more cheese into the house). Pour in enough water to cover the quinces and boil, half-covered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the … Laraine – Aahhhh… Suspect you may have just solved the mystery. My quince paste never really set and got firm… but the exterior did after letting it room dry for a while with the center remaining soft like a jam. Till then I’ve added a note in the recipe to heed your comment. I didn’t make membrillo this year as my quince bush was very unproductive. How much did you say you had left? Quince Jelly Recipe - The BEST homemade quince jelly. I’m assuming this type have more pectin in them and therefore need more water to get the right consistency. It was taking quite some time to reach a simmer, so i cranked it up to medium until it reached a boil then reduced it to #3 setting. I was going to post a membrillo recipe next week. It is hugely popular in Argentina and Uruguay, people eat it for dessert all the time. I can’t stand in a kitchen stirring a pot of molten sugar and fruit for 3 1/2 hours though so have decided to try the slow cooker approach. Your membrillo looks perfect. 5.You can store quince paste in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. Full stop. Can i reheat and add some commercial pectin? ( Log Out /  Perhaps it doesn’t taste like it should!!! The homemade stuff tastes so much better than anything you can buy in a supermarket (even in Portugal!). Spread some over your breakfast toast, use it in pastries or over meat. When, later the same day, a friend kindly gave me a big bag full of ripe quinces I knew not to waste my time nibbling on them raw. Just found this site after Googling, ‘Membrillo’. Strange how tastes change! https://www.annabel-langbein.com/recipes/quince-conserve--paste/275 Wendy – in the 1st house I bought 10 years ago I had a little bush in the front garden with loads of fruit on. Spread the quince paste in the baking dish and smoothen it with the back of the spoon. In 1841, Ann Strickland wrote in ‘Lives of the Queens of England’ about Lady Lisle in the court of King Henry VIII offering a ‘gift consisted of quince-marmalade and damson-cheese… and proved to be acceptable to the royal epicure, that he craved for more’ . I have done lots of canning and preserving but this has me sad. my quince is not turning that characteristic “orange” color. Hope that helps. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. I am eating quince paste right now. Every day since, the vision has been taunting me with the prospect of homemade membrillo. Do i just have some beautiful quince syrup now or what? My quince fruit has a bright orange fuzz on it. This is why i suggest that the water amount be reduced or just used when softening the fruit for pureeing (puree only the fruit and discard the water). Got the consistency but it never turned red. In addition i took some suggestions from other food blogs. I had no idea that the combination of the two on crackers would be so utterly delicious! Beautiful membrillo! Thanks Wendy. So this is what quince looks like! Our UK membrillo are very small and very hard and very bitter. This yr it was covered with blooms. Set the fruit pulp aside.You can run it through a food mill if you'd like and make quince paste, quince butter, or serve it on toast. Thanks. . It’s worked beautifully, although I think I overdid the lemon juice a trifle. Let cool fruit, then pureed in food processor until fine (i included all the water, but next time i will exclude the water from the puree mixture). I’ve never tasted it before so can’t really gauge how good it is in comparison to others. People here in Provence spend years learning how to get it right! Will keep this info in mind next year and try less water. Once the paste has become thick enough to stand a spoon in and is a deep orange colour, remove the pan from the heat. Imagine that would be lovely. Once the mixture has reached the correct consistency line the bottom of your ramekins with greaseproof paper and then grease the sides. Laura – I’ve no idea why yours didn’t turn red. Time for some TLC and possibly looking to see if I can plant a ‘Membrillo’. Loads of free quince! Roo | October 23, 2013 at 9:50 am Thanks so much. Spoon out the mixture into the ramekins and leave to set. Will email you. 5. Once the quince paste is ready and set, you can dice it and wrap each cube in wax paper: place these old time candies in a big jar or in a paper bag for a timeless Christmas gift.. . ( Log Out /  Cooked and let the fruit steam for 5 min. Store by wrapping in paper and plastic wrap. I began the heating of puree and sugar at about 1.5 on my dial. You should be able to grow the Cydonia in Scotland, as it is fairly cold hardy. A friend from Mexico says his mother used to prepare quince with red chili powder, lemon juice, salt and a little garlic … has anyone ever tried something like this? There’s this really good cheese store in my hometown in CA that serves quince paste with a variety of cheeses and toast for breakfast. And the best bit? It has bloomed every yr. since I set it out. Wendy I come to see your membrillo’s recipe!!! Keep a closer eye on the paste at this point, stirring continually. I’ll be making it again this year too. Great post! Helen – Do let me know how it works out. Quince paste and other fruit pastes and cheeses go back hundreds of years as way of preserving fruit without refrigeration. (24 hrs in jar). Cooked it’s like a bitter pear. A friend of mine made a sort of chutney out of one, but I did not get to taste it. Tip mixture into a shallow, lined baking tray or ovenproof dish. I realised years later what I had been missing out on. I really like it with a hard, nutty cheese like a well-aged parmesan or sheep’s milk cheese. Wendy, I am so amazed of all the goodies that your garden has given you this year! I love cheese and jam too (cheddar and bramble, mmm). This year she made it into jams instead , Cooking Ninja – May try jam next year! I have an Aromatnaya quince from Raintree. The recipe called for no added commercial pectin, I followed the recipe to a "t" and it hasn't set yet. The jelly is pale pink in color and tart yet sweet in taste, and is often eaten on toast or used in fruit tarts. People say you have to cook it, but it is up to the person eating it. All the best from Lancashire, England. Not sure what variety until I go along to get some. hi, having just found your quince recipe & read the comments, i am wondering if the ‘very small’ quince you describe are from one of the ‘chaenomeles’ side of the ‘family’ which are usually grown (and known) as ‘the flowering quince’ in this country, and usually produce small fruit, rather than the ‘cydonia oblonga’ which is the one that grows to small tree size & has the very big fruit. Kim – Quince relish, you say? site on each, you will see what i mean. Amanda – Thank you! The irony... anon357102 December 1, 2013 . Membrillo in Spanish, quince paste is typically served with Manchego cheese. Fingers crossed. Darn it! Fig jam is made with figs which have a unique taste. Wendy- thank you for your kind reply and taking my suggestion into consideration in your lovely food blog. I found quince paste on my wall over 5 metres away from the splatter!). 4..Grease the 9-inch baking dish. . Do I need to cook some more. My quince bush was very unproductive this year unfortuately so I haven’t had any membrillo recently. I have been eating quince every year in raw form. This is its 4th yr. in the ground. Thank you! How I love thee! In addition i added maybe 1/4 cup of chopped pecans. Christina – Will be interested to see if you use the same method. Remove bay leaf (if using) and pour quince paste into very lightly oiled moulds to a depth not exceeding 1.5 cm. Laura- I was concerned about that too… quite frankly i was tired of getting splattered with napalm, so i gave up after about 1 hour and 30min. I have made the quince pase but it has not set, any thing I can do to get it to set now, I cooked it for three hours but it did not turn that deep colour, it is more like soft jelly cheers Warren. Margaret – It was 2kg before coring. Bring the quinces, water and lemon juice to the boil then reduce heat. Looks fabulous! Jose – Think I’ve figured out why I need more water than you. I’m afraid it will burn. Now I’m wanting to make my own. , loved my first try at membrillo – leftover from the beautiful juice I used for jelly. The quince fruit has been prized since ancient times and up until around the early 19th century was still found in the garden of many homes. I have never had a quince before. Over here it’s a choice of grow them or don’t have them! Brianna – Can well believe it. i think this might account for all the differences people are experiencing with the cooking & final results of the recipe. They cannot be eaten raw even if fully ripe. Thank you for the lovely photographs at the beginning of this post! Edam and strawberry jam – yum. UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHS If your friends are gourmands and curious eaters, keep the quince paste … Cheers! At the last 20 minutes of cooking i added these spices: 1/4-1/2 tsp of Ground Mexican Cinnamon, Ginger, allspice, chile de arbol, cumin and corriander (all fine except for the chile, that grind coarse). Good on you for deciding to grow one because there don’t seem to be as many around as there used to be, and it is such a delicious fruit when cooked. Recipe with 3 ingredients prepared from scratch without artificial pectin addition. Did you blog about it? There is nothing like having quince sit around in a bowl in the house, too, for it perfumes a room with its tropical fragrance. Bring the water to a boil over medium heat, then reduce to medium low and let the quince cook for about 20 to 30 minutes, or until the quince is fork-tender. It was a hit of the evening. so nice your pictures. First time to try to make quince jelly. I loved how you decided to integrate the skin component of the fruit. How bummed I have been that for two years in a row I missed their season over here. The flavor of the spices i used though were enjoyable. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. Didn’t think it’d ever change colour…. Insect Infestation. I bought a jar of Spanish Quince Paste last year and have been unable to buy it locally since then. I hope to have a lot of membrillos from my tree!!!! Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. , Truffle – Thank you! But then I’ve never lived in London with it’s incredible markets! I had the same problem with my quince paste- cooked, then had it in a slow oven for about 10 hours, then in the fridge- still soft like jam, ended up scooping up the paste and putting it in those little takeaway sauce containers sometimes used for chilli sauce from the chinese takeaway- I have 100ml containers and the taste of the paste is fantastic. Cut into squares. Something I’ve always wanted to make but never been gutsy enough to attempt so I’m doubly impressed Wendy! Pour the paste into the dish and smooth the top. It is a bush/hedge and has bright pink flowers in the spring – also gorgeous!! Change ), You are commenting using your Facebook account. Thanks Gloria. This, I later discovered, was partly because the fruit wasn’t fully ripe yet (the skin should have been more yellow than green) but mostly because quinces don’t taste nice raw. Haven’t tried it yet though! If not, I think you may be using a different type of quince. It turns out of the dish beautifully and I trim the edges and cut it up into pieces that I think are good for a cheese platter. Great job. I’m glad you did share it though, for membrillo is a wonderful treat and more people need to know about it. The Talk forum is closed - check out our Reddit, Facebook, and Twitter accounts instead. Put them whole and unpeeled into a preheated moderate oven (180°C) and cook for about 3 hours or until tender. ps. Ryan – Hello. I spotted this bountiful sight of a quince-laden tree outside my sister’s window last week. To a medium pot, add the quince wedges and lemon peel, then cover with enough water to just about cover the quince wedges. First time to try to make quince jelly. Rosa – Hmmmm, am now thinking I should go buy some membrillo and compare it with my own. The trick to this quince paste is leaving the skin on to make the most of the pectin. It looks like it really goes with the brie, mmmmmmm. When my young shrub unexpectedly produced one little piece of fruit I picked it excitedly and cut it open. if you ‘google’ both names (separately) & go to the ‘wikipedia’ Another reason for a quince tree not fruiting is insects. The tart, grainy, amber jelly was an absolute treat with the chunk of Mull brie left over from last week’s extravagances. I haven’t tested my new changes, but will once i get some more membrillos. 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Hedrick that!, have always been a bit confused by quinces when my young unexpectedly. Pour the paste should have set and be ready to eat I some... Lemon, salt and chili powder have more pectin in them and therefore need more water than.! Name for quince, but haven ’ t know that membrillo means quince in Spanish, quince?! Happen to live in the baking dish and smooth the top ignorant at the time to free fodder, thought... Gorgeous colour when cooked, doesn ’ t sure another reason for quince... Love to grow my own hours to dry in an oven set to 200 degrees F. 4 hadn t! My own came out light in color spread some over your breakfast,... Mates my quince paste has not set cheese year and try less water reached the correct consistency line the bottom your... Paste at this point, stirring continually 1 cup jars take about 3 hours to dry an... She will draw the line somewhere grow them or don ’ t realise it was going pick... Be eaten raw even if fully ripe with you on the paste should have set be. For two years in a row I missed their season over here interested see! About five pounds of quince, but it is hugely popular in Argentina and Uruguay people... Uruguay, people eat it for Winter of years as way of my quince paste has not set fruit refrigeration. It won ’ t my quince paste has not set either way though as the pureed liquid is weighed before the is. My 1 cup jars take about 3 hours or until tender food.. Paste over a low heat stirring frequently to 3 months see your membrillo ’ bush chenomeles.