Whilst on a trip to Wales we managed to “scrump” a bucket of quinces from Shipley Gardens. The owner was quite happy for us to do so, we left with the impression that it was quite common for visitors to be allowed to leave with a few apples or pears.
The quince tree was not exactly over-pruned, which was a fairly typical state of affairs for all of the fruit trees in this fairly naturalistic of gardens. Its heavily laden boughs yielded fairly small quinces, which made the preparation of the cheese time consuming.
Washing the fur from the skin cutting out any bruised parts as you go. Then core, I found that the easiest way to do this to the hard fruit was to cut it into quarters, then to take off a single diagonal slice from each quarter, starting from the stalk end. The cores, with a fair bit of flesh, were retained and used elsewhere. The ‘cheeks’, skin and all, were pressure cooked with a scant mug of water at 5psi for an hour.
The quinces were then passed through the fine plate of a mouli-legumes (sieve), placed into a jam pan with an equal weight of sugar and boiled for about ten minutes. The mixture should be as thick and as dry as possible. It will probably spit, so keep stirring continuously and protect your hand and arms. Don’t allow the mixture to rise above 105Celcius or else you’ll start to produce syrup and not jam.
Pour the mixture into moulds, I used 20cm bread tins lined with greaseproof paper, and leave to dry outside for a week. Well that would work if you live in the Alentejo region of Portugal where the thermometer often reaches into the forties. In the UK a different strategy is called for. Leave the cheeses in a very cool, 45Celcius, oven for three days, turn out, turn upside down, and return to the oven for another two to three days.
Once cool the cheese should be as solid as a soft bit of cheddar. It will keep for a few weeks in the fridge.
Enjoy the preserve on its own, with bread, or with cheese.
Delicious. This recipe also works for Medlar Cheese which is rarer than quince nowadays but if you do find (or like me, have) a Medlar tree then it is an unusual and delectable variation.
I have made this often but do not have a ” pressure cooker” so I cut the fruit up & add every thing cores pips & all as seeing as I sieve it & also the pips help the ” cheese” to set it makes it easier I find.
John I am lucky enough to have a Medlar tree ( I planted 6 /8 yrs ago & is prolific ) The ” cheese/ jelly I make every year is wonderfull & I have made Medlar Liquer too . ( I make ” liquers” with every fruit available & use them in a lot of cooking !!!
hi everybody, could someone tell me the difference between a medlar tree and a quince tree – I have a tree that is smothered in dark green fruit similar to a pear. many thanks.
I am near Crawley-anyone know where i can get some Quince?
Christopher, My Quince trees have not fruited ( yet!! ) but they are a lovely yellow & a pear shape, too hard to eat ” as is ” but so good with apples , & in any fruit jelly you want to make, ( as in a jelly , you seive out the pips etc ) Medlars , ah yes , they are a very funny kind of fruit, ( reason why many folk will not be bothered ) they are brown & hard , BUT you pick & gather , & WAIT , then when they are ” bletted ” wash them & make a delicious jelly & yes it looks like **** in the pan ( I have taken photos !! ) but simmer till soft , weigh & to each 1 pound of fruit add 1 pound of white sugar, now simmer very low, 1hr approx bring up to the boil & treat as jam , for a set . you will get ” scum” so add a lump of butter at end, you will now have a beautifull rose pink jelly, in jars, to use on toast , with Pork instead of apple jelly even in a ” sweet & sour sauce you make !!
I make mine in January , usually after the Xmas cooking rush!! ( a few in a jar with gin or vodka & sugar syrup , makes a superb Liquer too , ( a few months in a dark place . _)
Once again this website comes up trumps. I have acquired a couple of pounds of these and I’m now going to make the jelly. I bought them from the “bring and buy” table at the community centre – so I’m off there again to find out if I can discover who has the tree! Does anyone know how long you have to have the tree before it fruits?
Christoper – It sounds like you have a quince tree. Quince fruits are green or yellow and like little pears. Meddlar fuit are round a rusty brown colour and related to the rose so like a rose-hip they have the little frilly bits around the bottom of the fruit. The french name for them (apparently) translates to “dogs bottom” and if you look at the fruit you can see why. I use Quinces and Medlars to make jelly and this year I have made Quince Cheese and Quince Comfits (sweets) havent tried the cheese yet but the comfits are beautiful. I also made a small amount of quince liquer last year and have made a lot more this year.
I discovered last year that you could make quince jelly from ORNAMENTAL quince( red flowers – often grown as a climber), …to think that for years I just gathered up the fruit and put them on the compost heap!!! – the jelly is SUPERB – – the fruits were green/yellow/ blotchy brown – yuk! – the juice ooked like*****( as Patricia said!!)…but when it set as jelly – it was a fatastic pink/peach colour and tastes superb – particularly with cold chicken
Enjoy!
I have an ornamental Quince too and last year made Quince jelly with the fruits. I bake with it (in almond tarts, Victoria sponge, anywhere where I would have used jam). We also use it as a relish or just on crusty bread mmmm delicious, and to think for years I have just thrown the fruit away!
I have just cooked 4 quinces in my microwave, removing the odd bruised bits, the stalks and opposite end remains of flower, they cooked in a few minutes in a covered bowl with a minimum of water, it was then very easy to remove the cores and put the rest through a sieve, I am now about to try making this into cheese with the help of your recipes!
Does anyone have a recipe for Quince marmalade please.
That sounds like a quince tree. Check out photos on Wikipedia. The fruits start out green, and go to yellow during June – August – they are ‘ripe’ from early September/October This is Essex, it could be a bit later further north). They are NEVER soft, and very bitter to the taste even when ripe – it’s hard to believe they’d ever cook up into anything eatable. But, try a quince jam or (better still) a quince marmalade (recipes are on the net, so just google). @christopher randall:
As I write this I have Membrillo cooking, which is very similar to the cheese above. You don’t need a pressure cooker and will keep for months in the fridge. Amazing with cheese and foie gras!
Also, if you haven’t tried this before, you must. Wash, quarter and core the quince. Then nestle at the side of your roasting joint of pork…..delish!
We always bake our Quinces as this then makes them so much easier to handle core and cook on. Heavenly flavour the Quince – ugliest fruit ever!