OK. I’ll admit it. I didn’t know a thing about quince. I certainly didn’t hear about them while growing up, let alone see any of them. When I finally did see one, not all that long ago, I thought it to be a very odd-looking apple — and expensive, at that.
Things began to change, however, once I started blogging. Every Fall, quince jelly recipes began to circulate. Then, last August, my friend Celia posted her recipe for making quince jelly on her wonderful blog Fig Jam And Lime Cordial. (If you’re not familiar with her posts, this is your chance. Celia’s blog is one that has a little something for everyone and all of it good.) At the time, I told her that I wanted to make some and would let her know when I did. So, “Hey, Celia! I made quince jam & jelly!”
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Once I purchased the quince, I searched for a recipe. Since quince has a high level of pectin within it, I decided to go without adding any more. This, unfortunately, ruled out Celia’s recipe. (Sorry, Celia.) I soon learned that the web is full of quince recipes, all pretty much the same. Quince, sugar, lemon juice, and water combine to eventually produce jelly. Well, I like jelly but I prefer jam. Looking a little further, I came upon a recipe that suited my needs. I settled on a Greek recipe for quince jam called Marmalatha Kythoni. Unlike all others, this one had 2 things going for it.
In the first place, the recipe gave a ratio of quince to sugar (2:1). This is so much more convenient than stating that 1 quart of quince is required. Just how many quince does it take to make a quart? With this ratio, you just buy the quince, peel, core, chop, and then weigh them. Whatever the weight, you’ll need half that amount in sugar. (You’ll note that in the recipe, I stated the quince amount in ounces (grams) to make the math easier.)
Secondly, water used to boil the quince in this recipe may be used to make quince jelly. Granted, you won’t be making a lot but you will get a little over a cup for your efforts. The same ratio (2:1) applies when making jelly, too. The difference being in this case, you use measures and not weight. So, I had 4 cups of quince liquid and used 2 cups of sugar to make a pint of jelly. It could not be easier.
The amount of lemon juice to be used is up to you. I like things a little tart, so, I added both lemon juice and zest when making the jam. For the jelly, I used lemon juice only. It’s my “control” and I’ll taste the jelly to determine whether I overdid the lemon when making the jam.
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Quince Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 52 oz (1474 g) quince, peeled, cored, and chopped (see Notes)
- 26 oz (737 g) sugar
- 1.25 cups (300 ml) water, divided
- zest of 1 lemon
- juice of 1/2 lemon
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Directions
- Place chopped quince in a large pot with a lid and add enough water to cover (see Notes). Place the lid on the pot and bring to a hard boil over high heat. Reduce to medium heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes. Keep covered, shut off the heat, and let sit for another 30 minutes.
- Strain, reserving the liquid for the Quince Jelly Recipe, and place the chunks in a food processor, along with 1/4 cup (60 ml) of water. Process until the quince is the consistency you prefer.
- Place the now-processed quince in a thick bottomed sauce pan along with the sugar, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil over med-high heat before reducing to medium and simmer, stirring almost constantly to prevent scorching.
- Continue to simmer and stir until the jam is the consistency you prefer, from 30 to 60 minutes, maybe longer.
- Place jam in still hot, sterilized jars, place lids and seal — though not quite as tight as you can.
- Place jars on a rack in a boiling water bath deep enough so that there’s at least 1 inch of water over the top of the tallest jar. When the boil returns, process for 10 minutes.
- Remove jars from the pot and place on a baking sheet or counter, out of drafts. Be sure to cover the surface with a cloth to prevent the hot jars from shattering when they touch a cold surface. Do not move for at least 12 hours, though 24 is best, to give the jars a chance to seal and the jam to fully set.
- Preserved quince jam will keep for one year, though some degradation of taste and color may begin to occur after 6 months. Best to enjoy your jam before that. (Source: Pick Your Own)
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Quince Jelly Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 cups (1000 ml) quince water reserved when making quince jam, recipe above.
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
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Directions
- Place the reserved liquid, sugar, and lemon juice in a medium saucepan over high heat.
- Stir constantly until the liquid reduces by about 2/3, developing a syrupy consistency. (it took mine about 40 minutes.)
- Use a large spoon to quickly remove any foam before filling the still-hot, sterile jars to 1/4 inch from the top. Follow canning instructions listed in the Quince Jam Recipe above, processing this jelly for 5 minutes in the hot water bath.
- Store jelly on a cool, dark shelf.
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Crostini with Quince Jam & Queso Manchego
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Notes
It took 8 quince that, after peeling, coring, and chopping, rendered the 26 oz used in the Jam recipe.
It is best to use ripe quince for this recipe. To check for ripeness, sniff either end of the fruit. Ripe quince will have a floral scent.
When cut, quince will brown. To prevent this, place the pieces in a large bowl of water. When ready to start cooking the quince, I used this water to cover the pieces in the pot, as indicated in step 1 of the Jam recipe.
If you plan to make jelly using the cooking liquid, you will need to strain it through a few layers of cheesecloth or, if none is available, muslin or coffee filters will work, too.
As you can see in the pictures, my jam is lighter than most. Granted, it darkened a bit as it cooked but never reached the deep color that I associate with quince jam. I was a bit concerned until I compared mine to the photos accompanying the original recipe. In that light, mine is quite similar to the original. Whew! My guess is that this jam recipe doesn’t cook the quince as long as the others, and that deep pink color needs a long cooking time to develop. As it was, my jam was thick enough that I had no choice but to pull it off the heat.
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It’s déjà vu all over again …
With Christmas approaching fast, for the next few weeks I’ll devote this section to some of our favorite holiday recipes. To kick things off, I thought we’d take a look back to our traditional Christmas Eve dish, Baccalà alla Marchigianna. In this preparation baccalà, once rinsed and rehydrated, is cooked in a tomato sauce with potatoes. Serve it with a chunk of bread and you’ll forget all about Santa’s coming in a few hours — well, at least until you’ve cleaned your plate. You can learn how to make this flavorful dish just by clicking HERE.
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Coming soon to a monitor near you …
Uova da Raviolo
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from the Bartolini kitchens 
Hi John
I am a quince addict. I just love them. I rarely make jam but I always cook some up and keep them in the fridge in their syrup during their season. I use them in cakes and tarts . I usually go straight to cheese with quince jam or jelly and Manchego is definitely the go. I am just about to take a lovely creamy blue to a friends house with a jar of Quince jelly Celia gave me ( well they can have a but of it, the rest will be coming home with me.) It’s nice to share 🙂
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I am such a quince neophyte, Tania. I’ve learned so much from today’s comments. The thought of keeping some, cooked and in syrup, in the fridge is a great one! Celia’s jelly looks so good. It’s what got me interested in the fruit in the first place. Serving some with blue cheese must be fantastic. What a great combination of flavors!
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I too do not have any experience with quince, but now I am intrigued as I always like to try new things. When I saw your photo with the bread and cheese, I was hooked as so often a little sweet is just what is needed for a cheese platter. Great details on the buying/making of this, too often recipes assume you already know what you’re doing (I’m guilty of that too), but you’ve done a great job helping out the quince novice like me.
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You’re so welcome, Judy, and thank you for the compliment. If I had any prior experience with quince, I probably would have perpetuated the measurement problem. As it was, my problems were too fresh in my mind to ignore. A number of commenters mentioned using quince in savory dishes, like roasted meats. This post has been quite the learning experience. The trick now is to find quince. Its season has just about ended.
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You are the king of jam, John. I have never heard or seen quince, but as always you make them look so delicious and easy to make. I learned something new today. Thank you for sharing.
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You are so kind, Anna, thank you. I’m new to quince, too, and was very pleasantly surprised by this jam & jelly. I’d like to find more quince to experiment with it. It’s nearing the end of their season and I don’t want to wait 10 months! ::)
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Yum! I don’t normally get quince jam or jelly around here, and that looks delicious!
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I’m new to quince and this jam & jelly were a surprise. Now I want to find more and try roasting meats with them. I feel like a kid with a new toy. 🙂
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Nice! You”re a quince maniac, John 🙂 Both the jam and jelly look fantastic, and your walk-through of how you selected your recipes was fun to read. Looking forward (er, make that backward) to the deja-vu and (forward to the) coming soon!
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I don’t lnow about maniac, Liz, but I have found a new treat to experiment with. Commenters are leaving suggestions for cooking quince, both savory and sweet. I really had no idea it was such a versatile fruit when I penned this. Now I hope I can find more of them. 😉
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Really lovely John, and the color of the jelly is spectacular.
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Thanks, Dave. This was my first time working with quince and it was a pleasant surprise.
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Lovely recipe! I popped over to your blog from Joyce’s. In Turkey, they serve the most wonderful quince halves poached in a simple syrup and topped with a clotted cream. This sweet dessert is to die for! Look for a Turkish recipe called “ayva tatlisi.” 🙂
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Thank you for taking the time to come here and suggest a recipe. I know so little about quince and welcome any suggestions for preparing them. This post has been a real learning experience. Again, thanks for contributing. 🙂
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Finally, I got it. “See Quince”. Sequence. You’re so clever, CJ! I’m sending this one to my daughter since she and her husband have been on an apple canning kick this year… applesauce (smooth and chunky), apple pie filling, apple butter and, of course, apple jam. I’m looking forward to your holiday offerings.
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Thanks, Kathleen. Glad you enjoyed my feeble attempt at humor. I hoe your daughter and SIL enjoy the post. I’ve made apple sauce and butter but never jam. Maybe I should give it a try next year. I’m through canning/pickling for this year. The canning kettle and supplies have been put away.
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I laughed at See Quince straight up days ago when I first saw the email notification… very clever…. and I’ve been looking forward to seeing what you’d done.
I love quince anything. Your jam (ooh with Manchego), and especially the golden jelly are tantalising the tastebuds of my imagination. And your post brought out comments on other cooking methods. When I get my hands on some I’ll be roasting them, as a start.
When I was a kid in the country everyone had quinces, you couldn’t give them away 🙂
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Thanks, EllaDee. You’re only the 3rd person to notice the post’s title. Well, the 3rd person brave enough to mention it. This post has been a real education. So many great suggestions, from baked goods to savory dishes. I really had no idea and now look forward to trying a few. Problem is, quince season is ending here and I’ll have to wait until next September before I can try any of them.
From what I’ve read, quince trees here in the States have been suffering from some sort of disease and the crop has really suffered. Most of our quince now comes from South America. Just when I discover them, they disappear. 🙂
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I’ve never even heard of quince John!! That jam and jelly looks so good though and I completely agree with you…I really love a strong tart taste. I crave it actually. Sooo good!
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Thanks, Brandi. I guess quince is one of those fruits from yesteryear. Reading the comments, though, there are a lot of things that can be done with them and I’m anxious to give a few of them a try. And, yes, tart is the only way to go! 🙂
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Bueno Sera John! It is time to get my Jam on! Wow not one but two things I have never seen, eaten or made. I am usually a jam girl usually but in this case I just love the beautiful crystal clear jelly and with some strong cheese on crusty bread that would be amazing. I can’t believe the holidays has come and snuck up on us again. I can’t wait to see the Bartolini Christmas meal plans for days to come. Did you get a x-mas sock for your dogs biscuits? I guess I need to get one for “Buddy” too. Take care and have a safe and happy holiday. BAM
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Buona notte, BAM! Consider this post a “Thank You!” for your Bammer’s Jammers. I love that jam and have made 2 batches, giving all but a jar away. I’ve Christmas stockings for both Max & Lucy and will be going to the pet shop to get the stuffers by end of week. You “guess”? You know you’re going to get Buddy his Christmas treats. 🙂
I hope you and your family have a wonderful holiday, too, BAM!
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Never heard of them John! And don’t know about them……like you, I learn something new everyday, and this is one such post. Thanks John for explaining about them so well.
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You’re very welcome, Minnie. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. I’ve received so many other serving suggestions for quince. I really had no idea. I can’t wait to give a few of them a try!
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A delicious way to spice up the holidays. Thank you for sharing so much yummy goodies for 2013. You made so any dinner tables bursting with flavors. Wishing you and your family all the blessings of the holidays.
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Thank you the great compliments. I hope you and your wonderful family have a most memorable Christmas, my Friend.
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I love it – Two for one!! I remember my mother making quince jelly, but I don’t believe she ever made jam. The 2 to 1 ratio is the one I always use for my non-pectin jam. It works every time, but then I don’t make big batches. Just one or two jars at a time. Now you have me wanting to go out and find some quince. It’s been years (decades) since I’ve had quince jelly and now I want to try both of these. Love how you turned the cooking water into jelly.
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Thanks, MJ. You echoed my response when I found that the jam recipe contained a link for the jelly. A real two-fer! I make larger batches of jam, usually, but it’s because I give most of it away. In fact, I often joke that if all of my friends return the jars at the same time, I won’t be able to get them home. So many have mentioned other ways to cook with quince that I’m on the lookout for it, too. I’d love to experiment with it before their season ends.
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How lovely they both look, the jam and that gorgeous amber coloured jelly! I finally did have a taste of that quince I purchased. Very much like an apple, only drier and not as sweet. I am in the midst of preparing foods for gift baskets and this quince jam seems simple enough. There’s a Persian shop just minutes from my home and they are filled with quince. I think it’s quite popular in their culture. I might just make a batch and add them to my gift baskets. But not without having a taste for myself first!
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Thanks, Lidia. I, too, plan on including some of this jam in this year’s gift baskets, though I may need to find more quince. I would suggest going light on the lemon juice and zest initially. You can always add more at the end if you want it more tart. I like it tart but you may not. 🙂
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Yes, using the whole fruit, yes, yes! Good for you for searching out the recipe.
No such thing as manchego cheese around here. How does it taste? The photo makes it look dry and sharp, like something midway between a parmesan and an old cheddar.
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I was very glad to find recipes that gave me both jam and jelly from the same fruit. I’m not aware of that being the case with any other fruit or berry.
2 kinds of Manchego are usually available. One is aged, viejo, and one is younger, curado. I bought viejo. It was more firm and I thought it tasted similar to parmesan. It went very well with the quince jam.
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Hi John, I see you are as busy as ever in the kitchen! Quince Jam and Jelly is a favourite of mine, eaten as you do with Manchego or added to soups, stews and gravies to well, quincify it 🙂 I see Quince here in the shops mid to late autumn, and luckily for me a friend’s mum makes it and passes some onto me! My favourite kind of friend’s mum you note. Now it’s not everyday I talk of love John, but here’s an ode to Quince and love I posted a while ago http://promenadeplantings.com/2011/09/22/the-fruit-of-love-quince/ 🙂
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Thanks, Claire, and that was some poem you wrote. I thoroughly enjoyed it. I need to delve into more uses for quince. I’m really a neophyte when it comes to using it and, judging by comments like yours, I’ve been missing out! 🙂
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