Has it really been a whole year since I wrote? it's hard to believe! well, let me make it up to you by reporting on my Quince Adventure! I was given a huge pile of these luscious - smelling fruits, but no idea what to do with them. I also had no idea they are naturally covered in a grey fuzz, and thought it was mold! Luckily, it washes off readily, and then I got to peeling and coring - make sure you have a sharp knife, as these fruits are hard as rocks!
about 1/4 of the pile of quinces I was given!
The lovely quince is a member of the Rose
Family
native to South-West Asia, Armenia, Turkey, Georgia, northern Iran and Afghanistan. It thrives in a variety of climates and can be grown successfully at latitudes as far north as Scotland.
First thing I made was membrillo, a sweet quince paste similar to jam - we ate it with oatcakes and dutch cheese for a multi cultural mini feast.Also known as 'quince cheese', membrillo is a firm, sticky, sweet reddish hard paste made of the quince fruit, originating from the Iberian peninsula. It is known as
marmelada across the Portuguese-speaking world and as
dulce de membrillo
across the Spanish-speaking world, where it is used in a variety of
recipes, eaten in sandwiches and with cheese, traditionally manchego cheese, or accompanying fresh curds.
I then decided to make a huge pot of quince sauce, which is like a tart, thick applesauce and can be used anywhere you would use applesauce in a recipe - like a pecan coffee cake !
In my newfound passion for brewing kombucha,
I was pleased to find quince made a wonderful tasting batch!
Still Life With Quince by Paul Cezanne
Even if you don't care for quince fruit, the flowers are so beautiful,
and would be a lovely addition to your garden!
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