We are in the midst of Autumn and it's quince season! This wonderful Autumnal fruit is rather special indeed. Quince are harvested in the Southern Hemisphere from April to May or in the Northern Hemisphere from October to November but can keep in the fridge for up to three months and are a steal at the moment. Learn how to make classic quince paste but also quince pie, beef and quince stew, quince pudding and poached quince!
The first recipe for anyone with a glut of quince is quince paste. While you can buy it, there's nothing like home made quince paste. You can control the acidity and add spices to this wonderful transformative dish. The trick to this quince paste is to cook it low and slow leaving the skin on to make the most of the pectin. I also used a French variety of quince paste that is less grainy than others (and use the less ripe ones as they have more pectin in them).
Ok picture it: it's getting cold and you've got all your winter clothes out and your heater on. Enter this quince and apple self saucing pudding. Have this recipe up your sleeve for a cold day and you can thank me later ;)
It's not all sweet. Once upon a time I met some lovely gentleman Dimitri from the UK at a food event and we got to talking food. He shared with me some lovely recipes including this beef and quince stew. This is a recipe where quince's properties really shine and you end up with the most incredible luscious red sauce with tender beef.
Do you know what the colder weather is perfect for? Pastry! And by that fancy pastry patterns! This apple and quince pie has a sour cream vodka pastry that is a dream to work with and make patterns with!
Turkish quinces or Ayva Tatlisi are similar to a poached pear with an appealing tartness plus the rich, warming aroma of cinnamon. It's a simple dessert where you poach quinces in a sweet syrup flavoured with cloves, cinnamon and lemon zest and serve it with clotted cream or in my case mascarpone before sprinkling pistachios on top!
So tell me Dear Reader, do you cook with quince?
Published on 2021-04-18 by Lorraine Elliott.
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