Quinces for Flavour

New Zealand Listener, Volume 26, Issue 669, 2 May 1952, Page 22

Quinces for Flavour

UINCES, though rather dry, are very good indeed for using with moister fruits, adding a pungent flavour. Pie melon and quince jam is quite good, and quinces cooked with apples make fine pies. Quinces. make a delicious dessert if sliced, barely ‘covered with water, a little. sugar and a flavouring of cloves (or clove essence) added, and baked in a covered casserole in a slow oven. Any fruit cooked like this has a rich flavour, and can be in the lower part of the oven while meat or cakes are being cooked, thus saving fuel. A special casserole of this. kind ‘consists of quinces, apples and blackberries in any proportion you like. Perhaps you may have only a handful of blackberries and a couple of quinces. Apples are plentiful now. Casserole fruit is an excellent idea, and it is fun to experiment with combinations of fruit. Quince Jam Wipe and take out the flower ends, then put peels and cores into a little saucepan. Slightly cover with water, bring to a hard boil, and then let boil gently until they turn a pale pink. Cut peeled fruit into small pieces, and weigh. Put 1 lb, sugar to every 1 Ib. fruit-sprinkle it over the fruit and leave overnight. Next morning, add strained juice from the peels and cores. Do not add any additional sugar for the juice. Bring to the boil; the jam must boil hard for at least %¥2 hour; then gently until it turns a nice red. Stir well till it comes to the boil, and occasionally after. The fruit is not mushy when set overnight in the sugar. Whitford Quince Conserve Ten pounds quinces, 10 lb. sugar, and 1 pint vinegar. (I expect many of you will use half quantities.) Cut peeled quinces into small pieces, put into bowl, j and put sugar and vinegar over them. Leave 12 hours, then strain off syrup, and boil quickly for 20 minutes. Add fruit, and boil, quickly another hour or till it is cooked and jam will set when tested. Wanganui Quince Conserve Two pounds quinces (weighed after peeling and coring), 2 pints water, 2 Ib. sugar. Boil sugar and water till it makes

a shiny transparent syrup. Then put in . quinces, cut into pieces about the .size of a sugar lump, a few at a time, so that syrup does not stop boiling. Simmer gently till quinces are soft, but not mushy. The juice of a lemon adds to the flavour of any jam. This conserve is delicious served with boiled rice or sago, or in tartlets. Quince Jelly Cut quinces fairly small, including cores and skins. Just barely cover with water; bring slowly to the boil, and simmer till all is thick soft pulp. Strain through a cloth bag all night, or even for 24 hours. Then measure juice and allow cup for cup sugar and juice. Bring juice to the boil and stir in sugar gradually. It is best to have the sugar warmed, as it dissolves more quickly. It can be warmed on meat-dish in oven. Stir continually, over moderate heat till sugar is dissolved. Then bring all to the

boil again, and boil very fast-a rolling boil-till it will set when a little is tested on a _ cold plate.

Quince and Tomato Jam Peel and core 2 lb. quinces and put through mincer, catching every drop of the rather scanty juice. Skin 3 lb, ripe tomatoes. Cut up roughly, and put into preserving pan with quinces, When hot, add 5 lb. sugar, stir till dissolved, then boil until jam is cooked and will set when tested on a cold plate. Quince Custard Pie Cook sufficient quinces, with a little water and rind of ¥% lemon, to make 2. cups soft pulp. Take out rind, and add juice of a whole lemon, beat it up with % cup sugar, the beaten yolks of 2 eggs, and about 4% cup milk. Now fold in stiffly-beaten whites, and add a little vanilla if liked. Line a deep plate with good pastry, pour in mixture, and bake on a hot scone tray. Have oven hot at first, and reduce heat when the custard is set so that the pastry may be well cooked. Quince Honey Peel, core and mince 6 large quinces. Boil peels and. cores, strain, and make up to 1 pint with hot water. Make syrup with this liquid and 4 lb. sugar; add minced quinces, boil about 2 hours, or till it will set when tested. Add juice of a lemon, and % cup boiling water before taking up. Should be fine red colour. American Quince Conserve Three pounds peeled, cored, diced quinces, 3 lb. apples, .peeled and chopped, 2 oranges put through mincer, 6 lb. sugar, 2 lb. raisins, 1 pint mild vinegar, 2 teaspoons cinnamon (or less as desired), 1 teaspoon cloves. Put spices in a bit of cheesecloth. Combine all ingredients and boil %4 hour, stirring often. Remove spices. Pour hot into sterilised jars and seal at once.

Quince and Pie Melon Jam Ten pounds pie melon, 6 lb. quinces, .12 lb. sugar. Peel pie melon, remove seeds and cut into dice. Sprinkle, with 14 the sugar, and allow to stand ail night. Next morning, put on to boil for 1 hour or till soft. Peel, core and cut up quinces, boil them for about an hour with a few cups of juice from the boiling melon. Then put the two together, add rest of sugar, stir till dissolved and boil till it will set-about 3 hours. A teaspoon of citric acid added after 2 hours will help it to set quickly. Quince Chutney Six large quinces, 1 lb. ripe tomatoes, 2 ib. apples, 4 large onions, 2 lb. brown sugar, 2 oz. salt, 1 oz. ground ginger, 6 chillies, % teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1 teaspoon mustard, 1 teaspoon curry powder, 1% lb. seeded raisins. Peel and cut up all ingredients, mix and cover with about 3 pints vinegar. Boil slowly 3-4 hours. Bottle hot.