I have been spending my spare time the last couple weeks stewing quinces and making quince paste. We have a small tree that has been prolific.
I have been surprised by the number of people who have never tried this most equisite fruit. Not edible in its raw form but when cooked, then sweetened, turns to an amazing ruby clour with a most delectable taste. Delicious as a base for a crumble, sponge, shortcake, made into jelly, jam or pickle, or just on porridge. A magnificent meal is a rich beef stew with quince and prunes. In fact when Vasco Degarma died on his voyage around the world, one of his officers survived and avoided scurvy by nibbling on preserved quince. In the Medievale times, quince was worth more than gold.
Just a bit a trvia for a very old fashioned fruit. Do you have a quince tree or use quinces in your cooking?
Glenda
-- Edited by golivers travels on Monday 28th of May 2012 11:22:53 PM
Cruising Granny said
07:18 AM May 29, 2012
I love quinces stewed and eaten with vanilla yoghurt. My grandmother used to make quince jelly by boiling the heck out of them with seeds and skins, and then placed in a muslim bag hung over a large bowl. The best place to do this was over the bathtub. The resulting jelly was beautiful on bread with fresh, thick cream. Enjoy your quinces. As you say they are very, very good for us.
Gerty Dancer said
03:56 PM May 29, 2012
Back in a past life I had a big quince tree and made lots of quince jam. Its a bugger to make as you need to grate the fruit, but it was very popular. Nowadays I buy quinces at Sunday makets... the quality varies but I still make jam.
And slow-cooked stewed quinces are to die for!
golivers travels said
04:41 PM May 29, 2012
CG, My nan used to make quince jelly as well and it was always a treat when I visited or stayed. How clever to hang over the bath.
Gerty a friend places the unpeeled quinces in a food processor and blitzes them to make jam, I have not tried it myself but her jam is wonderful. And Inagree slow cooked quinces are delicious. I make my quince paste in the slow cooker.
Will try to make quince jelly later in the week.
Glenda
golivers travels said
10:07 PM May 29, 2012
We had visitors for dinner. Had quince paste with cheese and quince crumble for dessert.
HW they are in season now, so should be around. i agree with you CG. It is really only now that we have retired that I have the time to indulge in stewing, preserving etc.
Glenda
-- Edited by golivers travels on Wednesday 30th of May 2012 03:11:39 PM
neilnruth said
11:47 PM May 29, 2012
Glenda my husband is one of those people who has eaten them raw. He loves them too. Quince paste is soooo nice with a sharp cheese.
grill n chill said
03:09 AM May 30, 2012
Quinces ! I haven't thought about those for a few years now!
When i was a kid Mum would some times send me down to the house on the corner of our street with instructions to reach over the galv fence and try and pinch a bad full so she could cook up quinces and custard for tea. If thats not bad enough sometimes i took an extra bag to collect chokos from another house on my way back to add to the mains!
Lets not talk about the pomegrante hey!
Happywanderer said
03:20 AM May 30, 2012
Have always loved quinces, had no idea they had such good health qualities. Must keep an eye out for some at markets.
Cruising Granny said
03:57 AM May 30, 2012
It's amazing what we thought was old-fashioned from the "olden days" was actually good for us. All that home grown vegetables, fresh fruit and nuts were always around the farm where I spent my childhood. We spent some time in the school holidays picking up the almonds into a kero tin, then another day cracking them. Another aunty had walnut trees, so the same applied. Peas in the pea season. I became very efficient at shelling peas, and whistling while eating the little sweet ones. Summer holidays were spent stirring apricot jam. I was to young to handle the knife to cut them, until I was a teenager on another relly's fruit block, cutting apricots for drying, dipping plums for prunes, and what ever needed doing according to the season. I think I miss the farm life in spite of the hard work.
Esmeralda said
07:20 PM May 30, 2012
Love quince jam, quince paste and of course stewed quinces. I often have quince paste but the rest is history. My grandmother used to do the jam and stewing.
villatranquilla said
08:09 PM May 30, 2012
golivers travels wrote:
We had visitors for dinner. Had quince paste with out cheese and quince crumble for dessert. HW they are in season now, so should be around. i agree with you CG. It is really only now that we have retired that I have the time to indulge in stewing, preserving etc. Glenda
we were golivers dinner guests last night and can vouch for the quince paste and quince crumble - DELICIOUS, as was the rest of the meal. Good company - lots of laughs - thankyou Glenda and Gary and to the forum who connected us
golivers travels said
10:10 PM May 30, 2012
villatranquilla wrote:
golivers travels wrote:
We had visitors for dinner. Had quince paste with out cheese and quince crumble for dessert. HW they are in season now, so should be around. i agree with you CG. It is really only now that we have retired that I have the time to indulge in stewing, preserving etc. Glenda
we were golivers dinner guests last night and can vouch for the quince paste and quince crumble - DELICIOUS, as was the rest of the meal. Good company - lots of laughs - thankyou Glenda and Gary and to the forum who connected us
Our pleasure. Such great company and easy conversation. Must keep in contact.
Safe travels and may your trips be blessed with a golden touch.
Glenda and Gary.
sandsmere said
12:35 PM Jun 5, 2012
Quince paste and good blue vein cheese on dry biscuits . Great .
Specially at happy hour .
jonathan said
01:05 PM Jun 5, 2012
.. Ooooh yessss !
Preserved Quinces and Quince Jam .. Jelly is also great with Ice-Cream ..
Jon
golivers travels said
09:52 PM Jun 6, 2012
Yes just stewed another batch today for the freezer.
Glenda
Cruising Granny said
04:36 AM Jun 7, 2012
I'll have to find a quince tree from which to pinch some quinces. I haven't seen any in the fruit and veg shop. The last lot were from a church stall, to be shared for free. Can't get that lucky very often. My other love these days is rhubarb - on its own or with apples or pears. Mmmmmm, looks like another day at the stove.
Ole_Grizzly said
06:46 PM Jun 7, 2012
Quince !
Best room deodoriser. any odour..closed or going to be closed for some time while away, then place a quince on a saucer in the room....No odour.
Same as for the wardrobe if your hanging clothes get an odour, another quince on a saucer locked in with the clothes...wonderful, no odour.
Even a couple left in your closed caravan, camper etc while in storage prevents musty odours.
-- Edited by golivers travels on Monday 28th of May 2012 11:22:53 PM
My grandmother used to make quince jelly by boiling the heck out of them with seeds and skins, and then placed in a muslim bag hung over a large bowl. The best place to do this was over the bathtub.
The resulting jelly was beautiful on bread with fresh, thick cream.
Enjoy your quinces. As you say they are very, very good for us.
And slow-cooked stewed quinces are to die for!
-- Edited by golivers travels on Wednesday 30th of May 2012 03:11:39 PM
Quinces ! I haven't thought about those for a few years now!
When i was a kid Mum would some times send me down to the house on the corner of our street with instructions to reach over the galv fence and try and pinch a bad full so she could cook up quinces and custard for tea. If thats not bad enough sometimes i took an extra bag to collect chokos from another house on my way back to add to the mains!
Lets not talk about the pomegrante hey!
All that home grown vegetables, fresh fruit and nuts were always around the farm where I spent my childhood. We spent some time in the school holidays picking up the almonds into a kero tin, then another day cracking them.
Another aunty had walnut trees, so the same applied.
Peas in the pea season. I became very efficient at shelling peas, and whistling while eating the little sweet ones.
Summer holidays were spent stirring apricot jam. I was to young to handle the knife to cut them, until I was a teenager on another relly's fruit block, cutting apricots for drying, dipping plums for prunes, and what ever needed doing according to the season.
I think I miss the farm life in spite of the hard work.
Love quince jam, quince paste and of course stewed quinces. I often have quince paste but the rest is history. My grandmother used to do the jam and stewing.
we were golivers dinner guests last night and can vouch for the quince paste and quince crumble - DELICIOUS, as was the rest of the meal. Good company - lots of laughs - thankyou Glenda and Gary and to the forum who connected us
Quince paste and good blue vein cheese on dry biscuits . Great .
Specially at happy hour .
.. Ooooh yessss !
Preserved Quinces and Quince Jam .. Jelly is also great with Ice-Cream ..
Jon
My other love these days is rhubarb - on its own or with apples or pears. Mmmmmm, looks like another day at the stove.
Quince !
Best room deodoriser. any odour..closed or going to be closed for some time while away, then place a quince on a saucer in the room....No odour.
Same as for the wardrobe if your hanging clothes get an odour, another quince on a saucer locked in with the clothes...wonderful, no odour.
Even a couple left in your closed caravan, camper etc while in storage prevents musty odours.
And they don't go mouldy, just gradually dry out.