They are used to make jam, jelly and quince pudding, or they may be peeled, then roasted, baked or stewed. The flesh of the fruit turns red after a long cooking time.
A posh recipe that I can't be arsed making follows (I'm just gonna roast some with sugar and whatever springs to mind then serve with whipped cream);
This is a nice simple dessert. The short quince season will soon come to an end, so it is lovely to enjoy them now.
4 quinces
250g/8oz sugar
2 fresh bay leaves
The peel of one unwaxed lemon
1 vanilla pod, split in half lengthwise
120ml/4oz verjuice
1tbsp crème fraîche
Heat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas2. Rinse and wipe the quinces clean. Quarter them lengthways but don't bother to remove the pith or core.
Related articles
* Come to a sticky end: Skye Gyngell's gooey and comforting winter-fruit desserts
* Blood oranges with warm honey and rosemary
* Search the news archive for more stories
Place the quarters (cut-side up) in a baking tray, sprinkle over the sugar, the bay leaves, lemon peel and vanilla, and add the verjuice.
Cover lightly with foil and bake for two-and-a-half hours, turning the fruit a couple of times during cooking.
When the quinces are soft, sticky and a beautiful burnt-orange colour, they are ready. I like to serve these still warm, with a large dollop of good-quality crème fraîche.
On second thought, I may make this recipe since it's more weight specific and contains proportionally less sugar:
Roasted Quince with Cinnamon and Orange
C&C 2008 quince
Ingredients
Serves 6
1.5kg quince,
2 lemons
600ml water
rind of 1 orange, peeled in wide strips, plus juice of the orange
400g caster sugar
1 stick cinnamon
To serve
Double cream or
Brown Sugar & Vino Cotto Parfait
Method
Preheat fan-forced to 90C.
Peel, core, and cut the quinces into eighths and place into water, acidulated with lemon juice. Reserve trimmings.
Wrap and tie quince trimmings in a piece of muslin. Put water, orange juice and rind, sugar and cinnamon stick in a stainless steel saucepan and bring to the boil, then add the muslin bag. Simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes or until syrupy. Remove and discard muslin bag, reserving the orange rind and cinnamon stick.
Drain quince pieces and place in a shallow baking dish just large enough to fit them all snugly in one layer. Add enough syrup (including reserved orange rind and cinnamon stick) to come three-quarters of the way up the sides of the quince, then cover closely with a piece of baking paper cut to fit the inside of the dish. This keeps the moisture in.
Roast for 8 hours at 90C (overnight), the quince pieces will become tender and the most beautiful deep ruby colour and the pan juices become syrupy. If not, increase the temperature to 120°C and cook until the syrup reduces.
Serve with double cream or, for something a little more special, the Brown Sugar and Vino Cotto Parfait, (Brown Sugar and Vino Cotto Parfait link). Add a squeeze of lemon if the quinces are too sweet for you.
