One of the quince trees has been exceptionally prolific this year, which is marvellous. Lots of quinces to play around with. I love experimental cooking - trying out old recipes. I decided to make a batch of Quince Marmalet to an early 18th century recipe which can be found in Florence White's 'Good Things in England'.
Lots of people seem to struggle to peel and cut quinces, I'm not quite sure why that is. Yes, they are much harder than a pear or an apple, but no tougher to handle than a swede. I peel them with my usual vegetable peeler, slice them up with my regular knives. They do discolour very quickly, so have a bowl of water and lemon juice handy to drop them in.
I made my marmalet quite chunky - see the first photograph. One of the most magical things about quinces is the way they turn such a beautiful rich red colour, if you cook them for long enough.
For each pound of quinces you will require one pound of sugar and one pint of water, plus a little brandy. I also added some finely grated ginger root but that is optional.
Wipe the fuzz off the quinces, peel and cut into quarters, throw them into cold water. Put the peelings and cores into cold water and boil them till tender. Strain off the liquid - and retain it! When it is cold put the peeled quinces into it, weighing one pound of fruit and one pound of sugar to a pint of water, add extra if necessary. Boil them all together until tender keeping them close covered. 'Beat them until they be of a right thickness.'
Pour it into warm sterilised pots, cover and label.
I let mine cook for about three hours on a fairly low heat, just giving it a stir now and then to check that nothing was sticking to the bottom of the pan.
That first pot has gone down remarkably quickly so I think we can call that a success.
Back soon with lots more quince recipes.
