Quinces !

[brillopads]

I bought a couple of quinces from the local co-op grocery store... but am now unsure what to do with them... or even if they're suitable to eat yet (i.e. ripe). They're supposed to have a beautiful perfumed aroma when ready to eat ?

Would a quince & apple crumble be a good idea, or a waste ? Will the quinces need poaching before they get baked in the crumble ?

I have a love/hate relationship with quinces but have cooked them. Love the smell and taste but they are a bugger to peel. Nigella has quince recipes in her books and I think there might be one for quince and something crumble. I have roasted them and poached them following a couple of her recipes. You are lucky to have found them I hardly ever find them

Scrub the hairy skin with a vegetable brush then roast them. They make a good addition to tagines and are especially good with lamb. Try this lamb and quince tagine. The are quite sharp and don't ripen but with added sugar they are excellent in jams or try this recipe for Skye Gyngell's roasted quinces We have a hedgerow near us with about several trees and we get them for free. I have also frozen them whole and they are easy to cook with. They smell divine when they are cooking.

...with several trees