"Hi, my name is Brook and I like to eat paste..."

Quince paste that's been allowed to jell in individual ring molds.

"...quince paste, that is!"

According to WiseGeek, Quince Paste, also known as Membrillo, is "a thick jam made from the fruit of a quince tree. This richly colored  orange-red jam has a sweet taste and a slightly floral flavor, and it is extremely popular in Southern Europe and the Middle East. Outside of these regions, quince paste can be somewhat harder to obtain, and it may be viewed as a delicacy, with a corresponding high price."

Quince Paste is commonly offered with breakfast, spread on breads. It can also be used to accompany roast meats and other dishes, with its sweet, floral flavor complementing a range of foods. In Spain, quince paste & Manchego cheese is a very popular snack, with some people considering it the national dish of Spain...

Fresh bread, Manchego cheese, quince paste and Marcona almonds.

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Yes, it's true. I've blogged about my love of quince before, and for very good reason.

Each quince weighs about one pound!

Quince is rewarding to work with, because it's high levels of pectin make it simple for you to create wonderfully thick fruit preserves.

 5 pounds of raw quince, quartered

Quince is not a fruit that can be eaten raw. When raw, it has a very dense texture and a bland taste, even when fully ripened. It can be difficult to cut, but cooking a quince softens it, and makes its normally white flesh "blush". And the aroma of quinces when they are cooking? Delightful!

Quince, that's been cooked, run through a food mill, then cooked again.

The quince flesh turns rosy, in shades ranging from pink to coral to crimson, depending on the fruit, it's ripeness, the cooking technique and the level & type of sweetener added.  

Sweetened cooked quince, spooned into individual molds.

Five pounds of quince (plus water, a vanilla bean, some sugar and fresh lemon juice) yields ten lovely 3 ounce portions of luscious Quince Paste.

I think these portions are perfect for holiday gift giving.

So friends & family on my gift list: Get in line!

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Back to my main blog and more fun ideas>>>

Quince Paste recipe

Comments

[Cari]

Thanks for the beautiful photos, I haven't seen a fresh quince fruit before. ! I have quince paste in my fridge now and it doesn not look nearly as appetizing as your fresh version!

[Brook Hurst Stephens]

Kim wasn't too interested when I was making it, because he had only had the commercial quince paste, which is a little thicker and drier (and less tasty) than the homemade stuff. That being said, I have to admit I have eaten -- and enjoyed -- plenty of the store-bought stuff too.
I am so glad you like the photos Cari! Thank you for letting me know.