The Quince Fruit - Marmalade, Jam, Jelly and Membrillo

Quinces are fragrant yellow fruits that are very popular in some parts of the world. A raw quince tastes sour and astringent but has a lovely scent when it's ripe. Thousands of years ago ancient peoples discovered that when quinces were boiled in water with honey a delicious jelly was produced. Quince fruits are high in pectin, the chemical that enables cooked quince and citrus fruits to gel.

Today quinces are used to make marmalades, jams, jellies and sweet pastes such as membrillo, and are also baked, poached, stewed and used to make wine. The first marmalades were made from quinces, not oranges or other citrus fruits as they are today. The name “marmalade” comes from the Portuguese word for quince, which is “marmelo”.

The large quince fruit is a bright yellow color when ripe and is green when unripe, and looks like a cross between an apple and a pear, to which it is related. It has a white or pale yellow flesh, but when it’s cooked for a long time the flesh darkens and turns into an attractive orange, pink or red color.

True quince plants have the scientific name Cydonia oblonga, but there are related plants also commonly known as quinces, including the so-called flowering quinces which are grown mainly as ornamental plants. Flowering quince plants are sometimes called Japanese quince or japonica. They produce small yellow fruits. Some varieties of flowering quince produce edible fruits that can be used to make quince jelly, just like the larger fruit of their relatives.

To make a jam, quinces are peeled, cored and cut into pieces or coarsely grated, then covered with water and boiled. Sugar is added to taste, usually after the quince has cooked for a while and has softened. Most recipes suggest between a 2:1 to 1:1 ratio of quince chunks to sugar. Some cooks prefer to leave the peel on the quince fruit. The peel may have a fuzzy coating, which can be removed with a wet cloth.

Since the cores contain pectin, they can be placed in a muslin or cotton cheesecloth bag and the bag suspended in the boiling water to add extra pectin to the jam. Another way of adding extra pectin is to partially cook quince slices which still have their cores intact until the slices are soft but not broken up, then removing the cores. The slices should be chopped into smaller pieces before continuing to cook the fruit. Quince jelly can be made from water in which quinces have been boiled.

One test that can be used to check if a jam or jelly is ready to remove from the stove is to place a spoonful of the mixture on a very cold plate. If the mixture wrinkles and doesn't flow when it's touched the jam is ready. Finished quince jam must be placed in sterilized jars and should be processed in a boiling water bath to ensure that bacteria and mold are destroyed.

Membrillo, sometimes known as dulce de membrillo or contignac, is a sweet quince paste. "Membrillo" is the Spanish word for quince. The paste, which is especially popular in parts of Europe and Central and South America, is spread on bread, crackers and cheese and is used in pastries. It's sold as a firm block of gelled quince.

Quinces are available in farmers markets, specialty produce stores and occasionally supermarkets in the fall in North America and Europe. Some people have quince trees or flowering quince bushes growing in their gardens and can harvest their own supply of quince fruits, or they may know someone who doesn't want to cook quince and is willing to donate the fruit from their garden. If you're obtaining fruit from a flowering quince plant, make sure that it's edible. Not all flowering quinces produce fruit that's safe to eat.

Quinces are rich in vitamin C, but this is lost when a quince is cooked. Unfortunately, most quinces are far too sour to eat in their raw form (although researchers are creating new, sweeter varieties of quince that can be eaten when they are raw). It takes the magic of cooking to change an unappetizing raw quince into a delectable food. Quinces provide fiber, especially if the peel is left on. Quinces are low in fat and sodium and supply a significant amount of iron, copper and potassium.

Until recently, quinces have not been as popular in North America as they once were. Now, however, there is a renewed interest in this interesting fruit. It requires a bit of effort to coax a quince to produce its wonderful taste, but the effort is well worth while.