I have to get this off my chest straight away. Does the word “quince” make anyone else think about the film, White Men Can’t Jump? If so, we are soul mates.
Quince is in season in the northern hemisphere at the moment and I keep seeing recipes pop up in blogs and magazines and I see them at the grocery store all the time. I’ve never bought a quince before but something about quince jam just calls my name.
It’s quite an English thing I think (at least in my head it is), to eat quince jam with some strong cheese, and this time of year seems so right to be doing that with a glass of wine in hand and a cosy film on the telly. I think we all know by now how I feel about cheese. Quince jam is an excellent cheese vehicle. That’s all I’m saying on the matter.
If you’re not intent on just shoveling boatloads of it into your own mouth you could also totally serve this at a party as an hors d’oeuvres or give some as a holiday gift!
Manchego cheese (definitely not English) is one the best choices for accompaniment; simply slice some up and spoon a little jam on top before popping it into your mouth – perfection!
Quince Jam
from Simply Recipes
Ingredients
- 6 cups (packed) of quince, rinsed, grated (discard cores, leave peel on), from about 2 lbs of quince (about 5 quince)
- 4 1/4 cups water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice (from one lemon)
- 1 tbsp lemon zest
- 4 cups sugar
Directions
- Prepare the quince by washing and cutting in half. Working around the core, grate the quince flesh (including the peel) with a cheese grater, until you have about 6 cups of grated quince.
- Put water in a large, wide, thick-bottomed saucepan (6-8 quarts) and bring to a boil. Add the grated quince, lemon juice and lemon zest. Reduce heat and simmer until the quince is soft, about 10 minutes.
- Add the sugar and bring to a boil again. Stir to dissolve all of the sugar. Lower the heat to medium high. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until quince jam turns pink and thickens to desired consistency, about 30-60 minutes.
- Ladle into hot, sterilized canning jars* and seal. Before applying the lids, sterilize them by placing in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids.
* To sterilize the jars, rinse out the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.
Makes about 5-6 half-pints.
