This familiar pear shape fruit, with its distinctive yellow skin and perfumed honey aroma, is a must on any menu. From quince jam, through to roasting the fruit in quarters alongside crispy pork belly, there are endless ways to put this versatile food to good use.
In their raw form quinces are very bitter and fibrous, but after slow cooking they are a sweet delicacy that I wish could be available all year round.
Preparing quinces is quite straightforward. Take a small sharp knife or a potato peeler and remove the skin, exposing the pale white flesh. Place the peeled quinces in a large bowl of water with lemon. This will prevent them from oxidizing. After soaking the quinces, quarter them and remove the seeds. If you’re thinking of making quince jam, keep the seeds as they contain the pectin you need for jam making.
Quinces Tart and Jam Recipe
Course: DessertCuisine: BritishDifficulty: Easy6
servings30
minutes2
hours50
minutesSlow cooked quince, filling for a quince tart. Any leftovers you can turn into jam for next morning’s breakfast.
Ingredients
2 kg of quinces
750 g of castor sugar
1.25 litre water
1 cinnamon stick
1 clove
1 star anise
1 vanilla pod
1 sheet of sweet pie pastry
Flour for dusting
Directions
- Peel and quarter your quinces.
- Place the water, sugar, and spices together and stir until dissolved. Place on a low heat on the stove.
- Add the quinces to the pot, and place a plate on the surface of the water to keep the quinces submerged.
- Allow the quinces to slow cook for at least 2.5 hours or until they are soft. Test with a fork and there should be no resistance.
- While they are cooking take the pastry and roll out to 0.5 cm thick.
- Line the cake ring with the pastry and cut off any excess pastry.
- Allow the pastry to rest in the fridge.
- Set the oven on 180 degrees and pre-cook the pastry for 5-10 minutes until slightly golden.
- Take the soft quince quarters and arrange then in the pre-cooked pastry case until the tart is full.
- Put the tart back in the oven for 15 minutes.
- Remove and allow to cool and set.
- Once the tart is cool, slice the tart into wedges and serve with warm custard.
- If you have any remaining quinces, continue boiling until the liquid is thick like honey and the fruit has broken down. Pour through a sieve and place into sealable jars and set in the fridge for jam.
