Quince Charming

Quince Jelly

I took advantage of the vile weather to turn the quince crop into jewel-bright quince jelly and lots of lovely membrillo (quince paste).  Last time I made membrillo we seemed to spend days stirring the mixture for a not-very-satisfactory result. This time I put ‘easy membrillo’ into Google and it proved to be true to its word. I peeled and cored the quinces, gently stewed them until tender with a few slices of lemon peel.  I then poured off the liquid (which I reduced and used to make more jelly), liquidised the quinces and lemon to a puree, added the same volume of preserving sugar and a couple of tablespoons of lemon juice and simmered, stirring occasionally until it darkened and thickened. I poured it into sterilised and lightly oiled jars ready to eat with Manchego cheese, add to apple pies and enrich stews.  Very satisfactory!

Membrillo with Manchego cheese and walnut sourdough – yum!