A Welcome to the Quince

New Zealand Listener, Volume 36, Issue 920, 29 March 1957, Page 22

A Welcome to the Quince

HE housewife welcomes quinces, because they are so useful for combining with sweeter fruits and berries, making a fresh variety of jams and preserves; as well as making excellent jelly by themselves, and, of course, the ever popular quince honey. They do seem rather dry when being cut up, but they nevertheless cook so well, especially with juicy fruit like blackberries; and what a brightener they are in jams like pie-melon and marrow. They are good in chutney, too. Quince Jelly This is delicious and can be eaten, instead of red currant jelly, with roast mutton or game. Cut up quinces fairly small, including cores and skins. Just barely cover with water, bring slowly to the boil, and simmer till a thick soft pulp. Strain through a cloth bag all night, or for 24 hours. Measure juice, and allow as many cups of sugar as you have of juice. Bring the juice to the boil, and stir in the sugar gradually. (Have the sugar warmed, as it dissolves more quickly.) Stir continually over moderate heat till sugar is dissolved, then bring all to boil again, and boil very fast-a rolling boil-till it sets on a cold plate. Quince and Blackberry Pie This is a real winner. It is best to have a little apple in the pie, too. Cook the peeled and sliced quinces first for a few minutes, as they are the hardest. Then add sliced apples and some blackberries. You can vary the proportions to suit your own taste. Stew the fruits in a saucepan with sugar and water, and cool in a deep piedish before putting on the pie-crust, using either flaky or short pastry. Very good with cream. Plain Quince Honey Six large quinces, 5 lb. sugar, 1 pint water. Boil sugar and water together 10 to 15 minutes, then add the quinces minced or grated, and boil for 20 minutes, or till it will set. Quince and Marrow Jam Four pounds of marrow, cut up, 5 Ib. sugar, 5 lb. quinces minced through mincer. Leave standing all night. Boil all 21%4 hours or till will set. Quince flavour predominates. Quince Conserve This comes from a Whitford Link in the Daisy Chain, who describes it as very nice indeed. She used 10 lb. quinces, 10 lb. sugar, and 1 pint of vinegar. Cut the peeled quinces into small pieces, put them into a bowl, and put the sugar and vinegar over them. Leave for 12 hours, then strain off the syrup, and boil it up quickly, for 20 minutes. Add the fruit, and boil quickly for another hour or till it is cooked and the jam will set when tested. Quince and Tomato Jam Peel and core 2 lb. quinces and mince. Pour boiling water over 3 lb. ripe tomatoes to remove skins. Put cut-up tomatoes and minced quinces in preserving pan with 5 lb. sugar and juice of one lemon. Boil about 2 hours, but test often, Bottle when done. Delicious flavour, rather like raspberry jam. Quince and Pie-melon Jam Six pounds quinces, 6 lb. melon, 8 Ib. sugar, 2 cups water, 1% teaspoon citric acid. Peel and core the quinces and melon, and either mince them or cut

them into small pieces. Boil with the water only for about 1 hour, In_ the meantime, cut up roughly quince cores

and peel, and boil, covered with water, for about the same time. Then strain this extract (which will help with the jellying) into the melon and quince mixture; add the sugar and bring to the boil again. Sprinkle in the citric acid and boil from one or two hours, until a bright red colour, and until a little will set when tested on a saucer.

Quince Jam This recipe was devised by a Link in our Daisy Chain. Peel and core the quinces. Cut the fruit into small pieces and weigh. Allow 1 lb. sugar to each

pound of fruit. Mix the sugar with the fruit and leave overnight. Cover the peels and cores with water, bring slowly to a hard boil, then boil gently till pink. Leave overnight. Next day strain this juice over the fruit and sugar, bring slowly to boil and boil fast for at least half an hour, stirring almost continuously, then more gently till a rich red and will set when tested. Quince Conserve (St. Martins) Six pounds quinces, 6 lb. sugar. Peel and slice the quinces, place in pan and barely cover with cold water. Cook till soft. Lift fruit into basin, and cover with 114 Ib. 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 other 414 Ib. sugar. Bring to boil again, add quinces = boil till the syrup jellies-about 1 our. Fruit Chutney This was sent in by "Hopey" and is a popular recipe. One pound tomatoes, 1 1b. apples, 1 Ib. quinces, 10 oz. onions, \% |b. raisins, 4 oz. preserved ginger (or bruised whole ginger), % Ib. brown sugar, 1 to 2 oz. ground ginger, 1% teaspoon cloves, 42 teaspoon cayenne, 1 pint vinegar. Chop fruit and vegetables finely, and boil 2 to 3 hours. Quince and Mango Chutney Two pounds peeled ripe mangoes, 8 chillies, 2 Ib. dark sugar, 2 large apples,