QUINCES

New Zealand Listener, Volume 20, Issue 513, 22 April 1949, Page 22

QUINCES

UINCES are always welcomed by the housewife because they make such a goed variation to the flavour of other fruits. with which they may be used in combination, as well as making good desserts by themselves. Having a rather distinctive and pungent flavour, they combine well in preserves with milder ones like pie-melon, apples and even tomatoes. A few slices of quince added when you are _ pulping apples make a deliciously flavoured puree for use in the winter in ‘pies and tarts. Bottling Quinces Peel and core them and cut into quarters or slices, as preferred. Drop them into a bowl of very slightly salted water (1 teaspoon to a pint) as you do them (like apples and pears)-to prevent them from turning brown. You may use the "stewing method" (as often described this year) provided you,have sugar to make the syrup. If you are bottling without sugar, it is better to do them in the water-bath, covering the fruit in the jars with water, and making sufe that the water-bath takes at least 1% hours to come to the boil. It is this slow heating which makes sure that all bactéria, moulds, and yeasts are killed throughout the contents of each jar, besides keeping the fruit in good shape and colour. This applies to all fruits, not only quinces. Keep the bath at boiling-point for 5 or 10 minutes for most fruits--but tomatoes and pears need 30 minutes. If you can spare even a tablespoonful of sugar to each jarputting it in on top after filling-it does add greatly to the flavour. Casseroled Quinces Any fruit cooked in the oven in a covered casserole is especially flavoursome and good, and does not easily get mushy. Try doing sliced. quinces this way, just covering with water and a few cloves for flavouring, with either honey of sugar to sweeten. A mixed casserole of quinces, blackberries and apples makes a lovely dessert-any proportion of fruit you prefer-and sweetened with honey. Serve with junket or with a custard sauce. Alternatively, you may remove: the lid from the casserole of hot cooked fruit, and pour on,-immedi-ately, a sponge crust. Make the crust with one egg and a small teacup -of sugar, beaten well together; then add about loz. of butter melted in 3 good tablespoons of milk; finally stir in lightly a breakfast cup of flour sifted with a teaspoon of baking powder and a pinch of salt. Bake quickly in a hot oven. This is really luscious. Quince and Tomato Jam This is a richly-flavoured jam. Two pounds of quinces; 3lb. tomatoes; 5lb. sugar. Peel and mince quinces; pee! and cut up tomatoes, Bring these to the boil, add the warmed sugar, and stir till dissolved. Then boil fast till it will set when tested-approximately 2 hours. Quince Conserve Peel, core and cut quinces into eights. Weigh. Put into a basin. Allow 1 pint water and 34lb. sugar to each 1Ib,

fruit. Boil sugar and water 5 minutes, and potir boiling on to the quitices. Leave all night. Boil all together 2 or 3 hours or till it will set when tested. Quince and Pineapple Honey Boil for 10 minutes 1 pint water and 6lb. sugar. Peel and mince 5 large quinces and 1 large pineapple, and add to syrup. Boil 1% hour, or till it will set-a golden colour. Do not overboil. Remove hard core of pineapple. Easy Quince Honey Six large quinces, 5lb. sugar, 1 pint water. Boil sugar and water together 15 minutes. Add quinces grated or minced, and boil for 20 minutes, or till it will set. Special Quince Conserve This one comes from Wanganui, and is said to be a perfect conserve to sefve with blancmange or junket or any cereal pudding, with cream. Quince tartlets made with this conserve are also delicious. Two pounds of prepared

quinces; 2 pints water; 2lb. white sugar. Boil water and sugar till it is a "confectioner’s white’-takes about 1 hour, and looks quite shiny and transparent. Put in quinces, a few pieces at a time, so as not to stop the boiling. Then when all fruit is in, simmer gently without stirring until the quinces are soft but not mushy. Use skins and waste to make jelly. Cut quinces into pieces about the size of sugar lumps. Good Quince Chutney One pound each of quinces, apples and tomatoes; %4lb. onions; Yglb. raisins (or sultanas), %lb. preserved ginger; Yalb. brown sugar; 202. salt; oz. ground ginger; ¥% teaspoon each of cloves and cayenne; 1 pint vinegar. Chop fruit and vegetables finely and boil all together 2 to 3 hours. Quince Jelly and Jam This recipe makes jelly and jam from the same fruit. Pare and core the quinces, and boil the skins and cores by themselves in water to cover, till the liquid is reduced almost by half. Slice up the quinces into preserving pan with sufficient water to float them. Boil till the fruit is reduced to pulp, adding the strained juice from the skins and cores towards the end. Then strain the pulp through a jelly-bag-allow 12 to 24 hours for this. Measure the juice and allow cup for cup of sugar. Bring the juice to the boil, add the warmed sugar gradually, stirring all the time, till the sugar is dissolved thoroughly and all is boiling again. Boil fast till it will set when tested-probably 4% to % hour,