As an old-fashioned yet tasty and healthy autumn fruit, quinces can be processed and reward you with sweetness and aroma. In addition, the fruit is excellent for making jellies, jams, compotes and many other interesting creations. Even today, most varieties can be found in the region around Iran and the Caucasus. But the quince has now also become homely in European gardens. Here is some useful information, preparation methods and recipe ideas for you to try and enjoy yourself.
Take advantage of the best harvest time and process quinces
The bright yellow fruits are from the apple and pear family. They smell so intoxicating that you would like to eat them straight from the tree. However, this isn't such a good idea as raw quinces aren't exactly a treat for the palate because they taste hard and bitter. Therefore, they require some diligent cooking and loving attention to transform into a delight for the senses. It's also in a quincemore vitamin Cthan in an apple, as well as many more health-promoting ingredients that have always made such fruits interesting for medicine. For example, “quince mucus” obtained externally from quince seeds helps with wounds and sunburns, and internally with coughs, fever, intestinal problems and gastritis.
In addition, the right time is crucial when harvesting. Quinces do not ripen until October but must be harvested before the first frost. The sometimes very hard fruits can even continue to ripen inside. In terms of color, you can tell when the fruit is ripe when it is completely colored and when it loses its thick, fluffy fur. So if you want to process quinces and make them into jam or jelly, you should harvest them earlier. At the beginning of ripening, their pectin content is highest. So if you're lucky enough to get a basket of this fruit, here's how to restore it to its sweet, fragrant state.
Tips for storing and using the fruit
At first glance, quince doesn't seem inviting. It's tough, woody, astringent, and generally seems useless. However, the fruit has an aroma that grows when it sits on your windowsill or in the back seat of your car. This indicates that there may be more to it than you think. The early harvested quinces can be stored in the cellar or another cool place for about two to four weeks. During this time they develop their full aroma. However, you should process fully ripe fruits straight away. It is best to store the quinces alone, as their intense aromas can spread to surrounding fruits and possibly spoil them.
As already mentioned, quince is related to apples and pears. When you cook the fruit, it takes on some of the best aspects of its relatives - the floral flavor of pears and the firmness of apples. In addition, it acquires its own amazing coral hue at the same time. However, the color is just one of the many benefits that make quinces such a tasty treat.
Due to their high concentration of pectin, quinces are particularly easy to gel. Roughly chopped, the hard fruits need about 20 to 30 minutes to cook. They are therefore suitable for compote, jelly, jam, sweet must and liqueur. But baked goods and the like also get a natural sweetness and a special culinary touch by adding a small amount of quinces.
This is how quinces can be processed
Before processing the fruit, rub off the remaining soft coating on the peel with kitchen paper, otherwise this will distort the taste. For most recipes, you don't need to peel quince. If you do, don't throw away the peels. When dried, they smell heavenly and are ideal for herbal tea blends. Below you will find oneclassic recipefor quince jelly or jam that you can prepare at home.
Make jelly or jam from quinces
Every fall, jams or jellies made from fruits you can buy or harvest from the garden are an irresistible treat. The quince jelly is particularly delicious and you can prepare it yourself following a few simple steps.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of quinces
- 750 ml water
- 500 g preserving sugar 1:1
- Vanilla bean, star anise and whole cloves
Preparation:
- First, wipe the fruit with a kitchen towel to remove the lint.
- If necessary, also remove the flower, stem and seeds and cut the fruit into small pieces.
- Then cook the quinces in hot water for 20 to 30 minutes. To avoid burning, stay close and stir the mixture frequently.
- You can also add a vanilla bean, star anise, and whole cloves for more aroma and flavor.
- When the fruit is cooked until soft, drain the cooking water through a coarse sieve. You can also use the resulting sauce.
- Now pass the filtered liquid through a fine-mesh cloth to filter out every last impurity.
- Then stir the remaining, slightly viscous liquid in a ratio of 1:1 (1 liter of liquid comes to 1 kilogram of preserving sugar) and bring it to the boil for four minutes.
- Depending on your taste, you can refine the puree with lemon, rum or cognac.
- After gelling, place the jelly clean and preferably still warm.
- You can use the quince jam mentioned during production as a spread. In the past, this specialty was often served with Christmas cookies.
Homemade quince vinegar recipe
Here's another recipe idea to help you make the most of the health benefits of this versatile fruit. Get the most out of quince by making a natural vinegar from it. Follow the steps described below and enjoy your homemade natural product. The recipe is for 5 liters of vinegar.
Ingredients:
- 3 kg of quinces
- 1kg sugar
- 11 g or 1 packet of bread yeast
- 1 cup homemade vinegar
Preparation:
- First, cut the quinces into large pieces, 4 or 6.
- Boil the fruit pieces in 12 cups (3 liters) of water for 10 minutes to soften them.
- You can then mix, crush or finely chop the fruits.
- Then add the sugar, another 3 liters of water and the yeast.
- First, place everything in a suitable container for alcoholic fermentation.
- After 15-20 days, depending on the temperature, which should be above 18°C, you need to control the process. There should be no sweetness, the liquid should taste slightly bitter and have a strong aroma of quince and alcohol.
- Now strain the mixture, add the cup of homemade vinegar or vinegar sponge and pour into a suitable container for vinegar fermentation - in this case it is best to use a barrel with mineral water.
- There must be enough free space and free access to oxygen in the barrel.
- To make quince vinegar, a temperature above 18°C and the presence of oxygen are required. The time required for this is around 2 months.
- If you want to enjoy the excellent taste and aroma of quince vinegar, you should let it rest in jars for at least 3-4 months.
How to process spiced quinces and make them into compote
Last but not least, you can serve this quince compote recipe as a flavoring sauce with desserts and even use it in savory dishes. In addition, the spiced version for quince compote is a great way to make the most of this unusual pear-shaped fruit. So if you are looking for a simple quince recipe, you can try the suggestion below. It is intended for 4 servings, but you can adjust the quantities accordingly as per your preference.
Ingredients:
- 3 quinces peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 lemon
- 300 ml water
- 1 Zimtstange
- 3 cardamom pods
- Star anise, 1 piece
- ground ginger, 1 teaspoon
- 1 tablespoon maple syrup, or more if you prefer a sweeter taste
Preparation:
- First, squeeze the lemon in 200 ml of water and immediately place the prepared quinces in the lemon water to prevent them from browning.
- When you are ready to cook, you can drain and rinse the quinces and place them in a medium-sized saucepan with the spices, maple syrup and the additional 100 ml of water.
- Then bring everything to the boil and cook, covered, over low heat for 20-30 minutes until the quinces are tender.
- Finally, remove all the spices and serve the quinces warm either on their own, with a savory dish, or with oatmeal for breakfast.
Process the seeds of quince and make healing mucus from them
In addition to lots of vitamin C, quinces contain zinc, sodium, iron, copper, manganese, fluorine and lots of folic acid. Aside from that,similar to currants, the fruits contain record levels of pectin, which aids digestion, lowers cholesterol and detoxifies the body. The tannins and vitamin A contained in quinces relieve gout and arteriosclerosis. For example, if you also suffer from fatigue or feelings of weakness, you can counteract these conditions with quince products due to their high potassium content.
However, the quince seeds are particularly noteworthy. There are large numbers of slimes in them. “Quince slime” used to be a common drug available in pharmacies but has now gone somewhat out of fashion, perhaps because of the name. When applied externally, the mucus is said to help against sunburn, chapped skin and even sore eyes. If you drink it, it is said to combat sore throats and bronchitis as well as stomach and intestinal inflammation. If you simply combine uncrushed quince seeds with water, you will create an effective home remedy. Making this yourself is child's play: Mix the quince seeds as they are with water in a ratio of 1:8. Then let the mixture steep for 15 minutes. You can then fill in the resulting mucus and use it externally or internally, depending on the symptoms.
