The Quince Is Coming! The Quince Is Coming!
Here in the Pacific Northwest, the hardy Quince fruit hangs patiently on the tree, watching quietly as we traipse back and forth all summer long, drooling over wheelbarrows overflowing with apples and pears.
In the HOEC Community Orchard, we are just about to complete our harvest of these fuzzy, somewhat prehistoric-looking, pear-shaped beauties. If you have not yet had the opportunity to try a Quince, you may be tempted to pull one off as a sample or dig into a slice right after harvesting.
After all - you have waited so long while this heavy, healthy bounty observes you going about your business, seemingly unconcerned with your desire to try a sample.
But be warned!
While quince do resemble pears, you will most likely NOT enjoy eating them straight off the tree. This is because in “colder” climates such as ours, quince has a tough rind and a hard, bitter, astringent, flesh before it is cooked.
It is worth noting however, that many quinces found in Central Asia, the Middle East and South America are sweeter and softer and can in fact be eaten raw.
Cookbook author Barbara Ghazarian, maintains that quince is:
"…the quintessential slow food,” whose magic is only revealed through cooking.
The takeaway here is that those who are ready to put in a little effort, will be greatly rewarded!
HISTORY & MYTH
Until the end of the Middle Ages, in many areas, quince were more widely used and recognized than apples. Long credited to have both medicinal and mythical properties, this highly esteemed fruit was often featured as a centerpiece in the lavish meals of royalty and aristocrats, as a sign of success and romance.
When digging into historical texts, identifying references to this ancient fruit can be a bit confusing. The earliest known quince are thought to have grown wild in the Caucasus Mountains between Persia and Turkmenistan and from there, spread quickly both East and West. Upon arrival in the Middle East, they were referred to as golden apples, in China as golden peaches, and in ancient Greece both apples and quince were often referred to as melons!
Looking further back, some believe that in the story of the Garden of Eden, the forbidden fruit was in fact a quince and not an apple. The same is true in the legend of Helen of Troy, and both Venus and Aphrodite are regularly depicted holding quince. Following the Middle Ages, Giovanni Bellini and Titian's painting, Feast of the Gods also features quince as the centerpiece.
Famous astrologer and physician Nostradamus, even wrote a cookbook called Traité des fardements et confitures. The recipes within are a combination of plague recipes, home remedies, magical potions, and jams and jellies - many of which feature quince! While we don’t recommend you try out the medical suggestions offered in his book, you may enjoy this entertaining article written by Ann Ewebank, called: Nostradamus Wrote Prophecies; He Also Made Jelly.
Want to learn more about the role of quince in mythology? This excerpt from The Story Of The Quince, weaves tales of romance, politics, and even a poetic break where a cat and an owl go to sea!
HOW TO EAT THIS PREHISTORIC FRUIT
Lucky for us, quince has been around for a very long time, so there is no shortage of instruction or inspiration from previous generations.
Whether cooking with Quince is new territory, or you’re already an experienced Quince prepping artist looking for inspiration, you will want to want to check out the unique compilation of recipes below.
Quince Membrillo (Paste), Rose-Quince Jelly, Quince & Apple Mince Filling, Quince Butter, Quince & Goat Cheese Tart, Quince & Split Pea Soup, Quince Ice Cream(!!), Quince Pip Tea, Spiced Quince in Syrup, Quince, Apple, Pear Tart, Sugar Free Quince & Apple Jelly, Candied Quince, Quince Cider, Quince & Apple Chutney.
Note: While you may be tempted to peel your quince before cooking, consider experimenting leaving it on, as much of the tantalizing scent is in the skin.
QUINCE PASTE
(Much tastier than it sounds!)
The high pectin content found in Quince, makes it an excellent choice for processing into a paste or a gel. You may have heard this referred to as Membrillo, Marmelo, Paste, Conserve, or Cheese depending what part of the world you are in. Cooking Quince on the stovetop is not a quick task, but it’s well worth it! The origin of the Spanish word for quince - membrillo- comes from a description of the quince tree’s branches. When the branches are young and tender, they are flexible just like “mimbre” which means wicker in English.
There are many different variations for making Quince Paste, but this recipe adapted from “The Joys of Jewish Preserving”, by Emily Paster is a good place to start:
Ingredients:
Approx 2.5 lbs quince
¼ cup water or apple juice
1 lemon
Approx 3 cups sugar or sweetener of your choosing
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Wash any remaining fuzz off of the skin of the quince
Place whole quince in a baking dish & cover with foil
Bake until quite soft, approx 90 minutes - 2 hours.
Remove from heat and let cool
Slip the skins off and cut the flesh off of the core
Discard the skins and core (OR keep the skin, peel, & seeds for pip tea for sore throats! See the next recipe)
Place the flesh in a food processor
Add ¼ cup water or apple juice (we of course recommend apple juice) and puree until smooth
Measure the puree (it should be about 3 cups) and pour it into a saucepan
Add an equal amount of sugar by volume
Add the juice of one lemon
Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Turn the heat down to medium-low and stir uncovered until it is so thick that the spoon leaves a clear trace or track when when you stir (approx 20-25 mins)
Safety Note: Use caution - the puree will bubble and “spit” as it thickens so use a grease cover or keep your face away from the pot
Grease an 8x8 or 9x9 baking pan ( I use coconut oil but you can use a spray or different oil of your choosing.)
Pour in the cooked puree & spread in an even layer
Place in the fridge to chill for several hours
When the top is firm and no longer tacky, cut into about 1 squares
If you are making it to share or transport, you can wrap each square in parchment paper and tie it with a string for a lovely presentation.
Storage Tip: Quince paste will store in the fridge for months!
Additional quince related recipes that can be found in The Joys of Jewish Preserving: Rose-Quince Jelly
QUINCE PIP (SEED) TEA FOR SORE THROATS
Don’t toss that skin, core, or seeds! The emollient-coated quince seeds are commonly used as a remedy for sore throats in many parts of the world.
Ingredients:
Skins cores, & pips (seeds) of 4 quinces (or however many you have)
Honey
Water
Put the skins, cores, and seeds in a saucepan with 2 quarts of water.
Bring them to a boil and then simmer until the liquid is syrupy and reduced by about half.
Strain & add honey until it is sweet enough for your taste.
Sip warm or cold when you feel the need to soothe your throat.
EASY PRESSURE COOKER QUINCE BUTTER
No time to babysit a batch of Quince Membrilo on the stovetop? Then let's keep it easy and start you off with some low input Quince Butter in the pressure cooker!
Recipe adapted from “Local Flavors - Cooking & Eating From America’s Farmers Markets”, by Deborah Madison
Tools & Ingredients:
Pressure Cooker
Food Mill (or mesh strainer and immersion blender or food processor)
4 cups quince
Wide strip orange zest
Small chunk cinnamon or other spices of your choosing like ginger or nutmeg
1 cup sugar (white or light brown / more of less to taste)
Wash and remove fuzz from the quinces.
Place the pieces into the pressure cooker with ½ cup water, orange zest, & cinnamon or other spices of your choosing.
Bring the pressure to high (or select high on an instapot) and maintain pressure for 15 minutes.
Let it drop by itself or if using an instapot, let it release naturally.
Remove the orange peel and cinnamon stick.
Put the cooked fruit through a food mill, or use a mesh strainer to remove the skin, seeds, and core.
If you don’t have a food mill, you will need to puree it using an immersion blender or food processor next.
Return the puree to the stove and heat on low
Add the sugar & stir frequently for about 15 minutes until your puree has thickened to a jam-like consistency.
Taste & sweeten as desired.
Additional quince related recipes that can be found in Local Flavors - Cooking & Eating From America’s Farmers Markets: Quince & Apple Mince Filling, Quince Tea, Quince & Goat Cheese Tart, Spiced Quince in Syrup, Quince, apple, & pear tart
QUINCE JAM
( MA'AJUN SFARJEL / MORABA-YE BEH)
Eat your way around the world cooking quince jam!
Try your moraba-ye beh with soft cheese and nuts on warm bread – similar to how it is eaten in Iran.
In Spain and much of Latin America, quince jam is often used along with cheese in empanadas (link in Spanish), or in almond short-breads.
In many Mediterranean countries, quince jams are served with ice cream, and in Azerbaijan it is traditional to stir jam into your tea or sip tea through jam.
Recipe link from, Flavors of Diaspora: Assorted tastes of Jewish experience
QUINCE ICE CREAM & SYRUP
“This Quince Streusel Ice Cream is one of the most luscious ice creams I have ever created. Luscious ice creams do not happen in a jiffy. This one takes a bit of time to create. The combination of the sweet quince and brown sugar streusel layered with creamy vanilla ice cream is irresistible. This ice cream is so rich, one scoop goes a long way.”
Recipe link from, “Diary of a Mad Hausfrau”
VEGETARIAN KHORESHT-E BEH
(QUINCE & SPLIT PEA SOUP)
Vegan & Gluten Free
“Although traditionally cooked with beef, Persian & other Iranian cuisines, have a long vegetarian tradition – with that said, the recipe itself happens to be vegan and gluten-free.”
Recipe link from, “ Flavors of Diaspora; Assorted tastes of Jewish experience”