THE FLAVOURSOME QUINCE

New Zealand Listener, Volume 34, Issue 870, 6 April 1956, Page 22

THE FLAVOURSOME QUINCE

pleasant after the plenty of peaches and plums and nectarines we have been enjoying. They are a rather dry fruit, so combine well with moister ones, such as apples, passion fruit, blackberries, piemelon, and even tomatoes. If you have any new ideas, please send them in; and in the meantime, here are some proven recipes. QO have a distinctive pungent flavour-

Casserole of Mixed Fruit Try a casserole of quinces, blackberries and apples-in any proportion you like. You may have a handful or so of blackberries, brought in by the children on their way home from school; and a couple .of quinces, and probably part of a case of the new season’s apples. Three parts fill your casserole, sprinkle with plenty of sugar, barely cover with water, and bake with the ‘lid on, in a slow oven -or at the bottom of the oven when you are baking something else. Fruit cooked like this always has a specially rich flavour, and a slight sprinkling of sago put in with the fruit gives a little thickening. Of course, you can cook the mixed fruits in a saucepan, too, very nicely, if you don’t want to use the oven; but do them very slowly always. Quince Jam Wipe quinces. Peel, core and cut into quarters. Put peel and cores in pot, just

cover. with water, bring to boil. Boil

gently till pale pink. Cut fruit into small pieces, weigh, allow an equal quantity of sugar. Sprinkle over sugar, leave overnight. Put all in pan with the water the peels and cores were boiled in, no more sugar and no more water. Boil hard about an hour, then gently till nice red, and will set. Quince Conserve (Wanganui) 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 de-

licious served with boiled rice or sago, or in tartlets. Quince and Pineapple Honey Boil for 10 minutes 1 pint water and 6 Ib. sugar. Peel and mince 5 large quinces and 1 large pineapple, and add to syrup. Boil 1% hour, or till will seta golden colour. Do not overboil. Remove hard core of pineapple. 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 the pint of liquid and 4 Ib. sugar, add minced quinces, boil for about 2 hours, or till it will set when tested. Add the juice of a lemon, and half a cup of boiling water before taking up. Should be a fine red colour. Quince and Tomato Jam. Peel and core 2 Ib. quinces, and put through mincer, catching every drop of the rather scanty juice. Skin 3 Ib. ripe tomatoes. Cut up roughly, and put into preserving pan with quinces. When hot add 5 1b. sugar, stir till dissolved, then boil until jam is cooked and will set when tested on a cold plate. Tastes like rich raspberry jam. 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 of 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 tested on a cold plate. Another Quince Conserve Six pounds quinces, 6 lb. sugar. Peel and quarter the quimces, place in pan and barely cover with cold water. Cook till soft. Lift fruit out into basin, and cover with 114 lb. sugar. Set aside for 12 hours. Boil peelings and cores (with the liquid from the quinces that were cooked) for 1 hour. Strain and add the 4% lb. sugar, Bring to the boil again; add quinces, and boil till the syrup jellies-about half an hour. Quince and Pie Melon Jam Ten pounds pie melon, 6 Ib. quinces, 12 Ib. sugar. Peel pie melon, remove seeds and cut into dice. Sprinkle with half the sugar, and allow to stand all night. Next morning, put on to boil for 1 hour of 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 set. quickly. Quince and Tomato Chutney One pound quinces, 1 Ib. tomatoes, 1 lb. apples, 10 oz. onions, 42 Ib. raisins, 4 oz. preserved ginger (or bruised whole ginger), % Ib. brown sugar, 1 or 2 oz. salt, 4% oz. ground ginger, 2 teaspoon cloves, 4 teaspoon cayenne, 1 pint vinegat. Chop fruit and vegetables finely and boil 2 to 3 hours. Quince Pickle Peel and cut quinces (green are best, but not too green) into quarters, put into pan and nearly cover with vinegar. Add 1% Ib. sugar to every pint of vinegat, a few cloves, peppercorns and cayenne to taste. Boil until soft and good pink colour, then allow to cool, and bottle. Delicious. Whitford Quince Conserve Ten pounds quinces, 10 lb. sugar, and 1 pint vinegar. Cut peeled quinces into small pieces, put into bowl, and put sugar and vinegar over them, Leave 12 hours, then strain off syrup, and boil it quickly for 20 minutes. Add fruit, and boil quickly another hour or till it is cooked and jatn will set when tested.