It is a sweet-tangy fruit preserve. In Spain, it’s called membrillo. It’s excellent, with cheese and manchego being the traditional choice. But it can also be used as a breakfast spread. It can also spread on cakes, pastries, and crackers. Spread this paste on everything!
You can make quince paste in two different ways: either from scratch or using the leftover quince mash from quince jelly. Both yield the same delicious result.
Ingredients
3 1/2 pounds quinces (about four large fruits).
2 pounds of granulated sugar.
How to Make it
Gather ingredients.
Reserve the peels after washing and peeling quinces. Add cores to the reserved peels when you core quinces.
Chop the remaining quince roughly into 2-inch pieces.
Wrap peels and cores in Cheesecloth or a clean bag of muslin.
Add the quince chunks, peels, and cores to a large pot. Pour enough water to cover the quince by about 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil on high heat. Reduce heat, and simmer for 1 to 1 1/2 hours or until the quince chunks become mushy.
Remove and throw away the bundle of peels. The remaining quince can be strained through a fine-mesh strainer or a double layer of cheesecloth in a colander. (You can use the liquid from this straining to make quince jellies.) Let quince strain for two hours.
Puree the strained quince mash using a food processor, or pass it through a mill.
Pour the puree into a large pot after weighing or measuring it. Add equal amounts of sugar granules by volume or weight.
Cook on low heat for approximately 1 1/2 hours. Stir continuously at first to dissolve the sugar. Then, stir frequently. The quince paste is ready when it sticks to the wooden spoon. If you drag it over the bottom of a pot, a trail will appear that will not immediately fill in. At the end of cooking, stir it often to prevent burning.
Grease a baking dish of 9 inches. Spread the quince paste into the container and smooth it with a spoon. The paste should be 1 1/2 inches thick. Let the paste cool in the baking dish.
Use the lowest temperature setting in your oven, not higher than 125 F. You can prop open the door with a towel or wooden spoon handle if your range does not go that low.
Note: Do not open the door if you use a gas oven or propane. Cook the quince paste in the pan longer until it becomes very thick and has a darker color. Spread the paste on the baking dish greased with butter and let it air dry at room temperature overnight.
Dry the quince paste overnight or for 8 hours. The surface should be glossy but not sticky. Refrigerate the baking dish with quince paste for four hours.
Around the edges of the paste, run a knife. Invert quince pastes onto a plate—slice as desired.
Tip
The leftover quince mash can be used to make quince paste.
You’ll end up with a lot of quince mash that has been strained, and the peels are still in it. This can be run through a food processor to remove the peels.
You can skip boiling, pushing, and pureeing.
Pour the puree into a large pot, and follow the recipe strictly.
How to use a dehydrator
A food dehydrator can be used to dry your paste. Remove everything but the bottom tray of your dehydrator. Place the baking dish with quince paste onto the bottom tray. Set the temperature to 125 F.
