I'd seen quinces everywhere from markets to the medieval gardens at The Cloisters museum in upper Manhattan, but never had I eaten, much less prepared them. Sitting benignly next to the apples and pears in the store, the quince looks like you should just be able to wash and eat it. Not a good idea. Quinces need to be cooked.
But oh, who would guess how delightful they are when you go to that trouble! Or that they turn from basic pear-colored-flesh to a deep, rosy hue. Definitely worth it.
I adapted a recipe from The Food of Morocco cookbook, and while I reworked the technique slightly and in the end cooked and ate the peels (for guests I would peel them but they taste fine), it did inspire the lemon zest and rosewater.
1 Quarter quinces with a sharp knife before cooking; peel if desired.
2 I simmered my quinces with lemon zest and agave nectar.
3 quinces, peels and all, about half-way through simmering
4 My first attempt fell apart a bit, but I found these rosy quinces in syrup to still be beautiful as well as delicious.
5 A small serving of quince packs a big punch.
Basically I cut the quinces in quarters and cored them (peel if desired), and placed them in a saucepan. I covered them with water, tossed in some lemon zest and agave (sugar works, of course), and simmered for a long time (a couple of hours) till they turned rosy. I removed the quinces and added rosewater to the liquid in the pan, and simmered the liquid about 10 minutes more to thicken the syrup slightly.
We ate most of the quinces by themselves with the syrup drizzled on top, though I also tried them with vanilla ice cream. And the results of my first foray into cooking quinces? Well, upon my suggestion that we share the rosy fruit with friends, there was a general revolt! Needless to say, the rest of the quinces were jealously guarded until consumed in our own kitchen.
From: Gloria Cossairt | 1/12/10 at 2:43 pm
My mother used to make quince honey with quinces and apples. It was delicious, but my recipe burned along with my house. Where can I find a recipe for quince honey?
From: eatingRD | 1/12/10 at 3:04 pm
I've never tried quinces before, but have seen it used in jam. Thanks for the tips!
From: Michele Witt | 1/12/10 at 4:17 pm
I love the paintings in oil I have seen of this mysterious fruit, but now thank you, I know how it is suppose to be eaten~prepared.
From: Katie | 1/13/10 at 1:10 am
Quinces are used quite a lot in Greece. They are used for cooking both deserts and savory foods. I cook them with either pork or beef in a pot. It is a meat & potatoes recipe in a red sause but quinces are used instead of the potatoes. The quinces add a wonderful velvety texture and a slight tang to the food. I also make a quince marmalade. However, the most common way of cooking quinces in Greece is cored and stuffed with walnuts and raisins and baked in the oven. Absolutely delicious.
From: Beth Eakin | 1/13/10 at 2:08 pm
Hi, Gloria,
I've never made quince honey, but I did a quick google search, and the most promising link I saw was this: quinceforum.googlepages.com/q_other.html
This link gave me a downloaded page of quince recipes, and the quince honey was near the bottom. Good luck!
From: Beth Eakin | 1/13/10 at 2:12 pm
Thanks, Katie, I'll have to try your Greek stuffed, baked quinces. And I wouldn't have thought of them as a "swap" for potatoes!
From: Betty Starling | 3/17/13 at 11:45 am
Mama's Quince Honey
Peel quinces-discard cores-grind and measure-Cook pulp until tender in water to cover, strain, Cover quinces with this water and boil 15 minutes. Add 1 cup sugar and 2 teas lemon juice to each cup of pulp. Boil until it jells. Pour into hot jars and seal