Simple Quince Jelly

Quinces are one of the most delightfully fragrant fruits, especially at the peak of their season. Often described as a cross between an apple and a pear, quince season runs from August to December. Oftentimes quinces get overlooked in the market because people are intimidated by their round, fuzzy appearance and don’t know quite what to do with them. (Don’t worry with a gentle rub the fuzz washes right off) When ripe, a quince turns yellow, but frequently appear green in the markets in which case they will easily ripen at home.

Quince is a dense fruit that is very high in tannins, causing them to be a little unpleasant when raw. The best way to enjoy quinces are to bake them in a pie or tart, poach them or turn them into jam or jelly. It is easy to make quince jams and jellies from scratch because of their high pectin content, a natural thickener used in baking. In quinces, the pectin is especially prevalent in the skins and core, so when making jelly (something we have to strain anyways) it is best use the whole fruit in the first cooking stage. The pectin makes quince jelly easy to make at home and with few ingredients. One of the best things about cooking quinces, aside from their sweet smell, is the beautiful rosy hue they turn once cooked.

Simple Quince Jelly

Makes 3 cups of Jelly

8 quinces, washed well and cut into pieces

5 cups water

1 ½ cups sugar

Juice of 1 lemon

Place cut up quinces in a large saucepan. Add water, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and cover, continue to cook until dark pink and very soft, about 1 hour.

Strain the quince and liquid through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl.  Using a rubber spatula press out all liquid, discard all seeds and skins in the sieve. Transfer the strained quince puree to a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Add sugar and lemon juice, and stir until fully dissolved. Continue to cook until the jelly has thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat, and conduct a plate test to ensure doneness. If the jelly is set, transfer to a heatproof container and let cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate the jelly overnight.

Serve quince jelly with warm toast and butter, alongside your favorite cheese plate or straight from the jar.

Jelly can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.

The Jelly Plate Test

Remove jelly from heat while doing the test. Chill a plate in the refrigerator. Pour a small amount of boiling jelly onto the chilled plate, and put it in the refrigerator for 3 minutes. If the mixture gels, and doesn’t run down the plate when tilted the jelly is done. If not, continue cooking your jelly and repeat test every few minutes.