You may have noticed the strange yellow fruit that is new to the produce department, it’s QUINCE! Here’s why we’ve got it for you!
Quince paste has a texture somewhere between that of stiff jelly and gumdrops.
Quince paste is a thick jam made from the fruit of the quince tree. This richly red to orange-colored jam has a sweet taste and a slightly floral flavor, and it is extremely popular in Southern Europe and the Middle East. Outside of these regions, it can be somewhat harder to obtain, and it may be viewed as a delicacy. But don’t let that fool you, This delicacy is way easier than you think. You’re just a few steps away from making your friends think you stepped up your game, expanded your palate, and brought some new things to the table…Literally.
Here’s a simple way for homemade quince paste:
Ingredients
- 4 medium quinces (about 2 pounds total)
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup water
- 2 to 3 cups sugar
- Accompaniment: cheese and crackers
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°F and lightly oil a 1-quart terrine.
Scrub quinces and pat dry. In a small roasting pan bake quinces, covered with foil, in middle of oven until tender, about 2 hours, and transfer pan to a rack. When quinces are cool enough to handle, with a sharp knife peel, quarter, and core them.
In a food processor puree pulp with 1/4 cup water until smooth (if mixture is too thick, add remaining 1/4 cup water a little at a time, as needed). Force puree through a large fine sieve into a liquid cup measure and measure amount of puree. Transfer puree to a 3-quart heavy saucepan and add an equivalent amount of sugar.
Cook quince puree over moderate heat, stirring constantly, until it is thickened and begins to pull away from side of pan, about 25 minutes. Pour puree into terrine, smoothing top with an offset spatula, and cool. Chill puree, loosely covered with plastic wrap, until set, about 4 hours.
Run a thin knife around sides of terrine and invert quince paste onto a platter. (Quince paste keeps, wrapped well in wax paper and then plastic wrap and chilled, 3 months.)
Slice paste and serve with cheese and crackers.
Cheers!
