Quinces

[Watto1]

I've recently moved house and I have discovered a quince tree in the garden. The previous owner had thoughtfully labelled it, otherwise I would not have known what it was! I've never eaten a quince. I understand that they must be cooked but I'm not one for making jam. Any good ideas as to what I can do with them if/when it produces any fruit please?

Quince jam, quince jam, and quince jelly . . . lol

I have a customer in my shop who often makes a quince jelly for us - you eat it with meats or cheeses, really nice! She drops me a couple of jars every year along with a bag of quinces.

Also nice with apples and raisins in a chutney, or simply pickled.

Or some membrillo - like a quince cheese you can slice and eat with meat or cheese...

Quince tart tatin is nice too, or quince and rhubarb pie with ginger...

You are so lucky to have a tree!

Thanks both. I like the sound of a quince tart rayon. The tree is only about 5ft tall so it might be a bit young for fruit at the moment but you never know!

Tart tatin, not tart rayon. Blinking autocorrect!

Quince vodka or brandy is delicious - add raw grated/chopped fruit to 3/4 fill a Kilner jar, 1/4 sugar and top up with cheap alcohol. Turn jar daily for a few weeks. Leave in dark for few months (till Christmas for great pressies), strain and drink.
We planted a tree few years ago, took 2-3 to get going, then can have years with many, many fruit or none,, depending on if frost gets the blossom. Beautiful trees. Quite difficult to find fruit so folk keen to buy them if replete!
Have a look at the now-ceased and excellent “Quince Tree “ food blog.

Quince meringue pie - like lemon meringue pie. Fruit leather
Membrillo

Sometimes I make a jam called Paradise Jelly made with quinces and cranberries.

I love quince so am very jealous. They are rock hard so can be tricky to prepare.

I had a lovely recipe that I can't find... anyway it was basically using the quince as a vegetable type thing - pork with the quince roasted alongside. It takes ages to break down but if it goes a bit too mushy it's lovely and squished into the sauce. I seem to recall taking the fat off the pork while resting and putting back into a hot oven to make crackling and some declaring with wine of the pan and quince juices.

When they’re in season I put them in an apple crumble. DP (part Spanish) makes membrillo.

Nigella has a very good recipe for quince poached in Sauternes (don’t tell her, but I use cheap supermarket Moscatel when I do it). One Christmas we also followed her suggestion of adding sliced quince to mincemeat, which was brilliant.

Stuffed with mince and middle eastern spices, Ottelenghi has a great recipe.

They are lovely in a tagine

To add to that thry look beautiful in a fruit bowl and perfume the room wonderful.
Quince jelly is not at all difficult to make IME

....they look beautiful.... And ....wonderfully....
Must get to bed.