oven poached quince
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3OnxKLMSGgEjob3PjdnZL7ei3x7GncKX6t7ag3GeFItoDJ2Lsf89rUyETKVHe8dCw3epva-0mqn4gvyFmM8cnmkp57FkT1iyH4qL96_hNEsCaKW8ox22dNhNvM0bXnu2A7Jh-FQ/s1600/blog-1.jpg)
When I saw quince in the fruit market I brought a few home with me. I decided to poach them and dived into my copy of Stephanie Alexanders 'The Cooks Companion' for a recipe.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnXz_2RFAdKxUXQrqo18hQRccsySeFx-OdRN6zKumCFRqxT8cY9suuSdaL6QXYUEu62-ewh1qEQBlWhC6devgZ-6PVjQX5WyFX6qoqBiNUiWCkq8yRuz4plIcuUU5kNhm5vTycyw/s1600/blog-2.jpg)
Quince are tough little numbers so you need a sharp knife to deal with them. Some people pot roast them whole but I find trying to remove the peel, seeds and core from the cooked quince a bit too fiddly for my liking.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTlnMw-JdJuPTG-XCQl_8udxil8OsMCos0gw4jidmnDlPaRlfptdWp4oFrR-4qEE6BPIRSyGD-mO962oWi44bgF0ajUFebvylUX8CqWl1BCQdCpz8GgAckX-gKmkZgsRscBPJ7lw/s1600/blog-3.jpg)
Quince are inedible unless cooked and they need long slow cooking. As they cook they change colour from pale green to a rich ruby red. I initially cooked the quince for 2 hours and although they were cooked I wanted them to be ruby red, so I continued cooking them for a further 2 hours. You can see how the colour changes with cooking time.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9qOlj1ui62d3NvGmAqpBYChW-w8htxkO-71FgzzmIoUCbaRw1FbrENGODNk6ihp9s6cA_qDJFG8GwyVVsQA_ITR6cgv08tOdlj6vktJMfMfwgXnN3GI4CZ2OnoJNQdDe_UiAnPg/s1600/blog-4.jpg)
Here's the recipe for you and it's beauty is in it's simplicity.
Stephanie's poached quince
6 quinces, washed and peeled
2.25 litres light sugar syrup
1 vanilla bean
juice of 1 lemon
To make the light sugar syrup, heat 2 parts water to 1 part sugar and stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Preheat oven to 150°C. Cut quinces into quarters or sixths. Cut out cores and tie loosely in a piece of muslin. Put sugar syrup in a cast-iron pot with vanilla bean, lemon juice and muslin bag, then add quince. Cover tightly and bake in oven for at least 4 (and up to 8) hours until quince is deep red. Do not stir or the quince may break up.
Split the vanilla bean and scrape seeds into the syrup. I reduced the syrup over a medium heat for about 10 minutes. Cool the quince in the syrup.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ix3o_RMd8m6jZoUWDPQRbeQQRX1eRddTNfoG_W3KMlU-0Ml9Ql0qbr7uQ2iEcoxteXpwkoofwCVGLj_T9n6tJlydKbuDyP-_7yOlgIRmrpCs7123KKlTBJZpII2NeoyBdjPHyw/s1600/blog-5.jpg)
I can't really describe the taste of quince. It really is unique. So far I've eaten the poached fruit with some stewed apple and yoghurt and I've served it with pannacotta. I found a recipe for quince cake that I'm dying to try so if I get round to making it, I'll share that with you.
See you all again soon,
Jillian
I love quince, I usually bake mine for 6-8 hours. I love it on porridge but have been making the most delicious quince and ginger cake. Divine. It is actually a pear and ginger upside down from taste.com but the trick is you need a loose base on your cake tin and something to catch the syrup that will drip out. If it doesn't drip a bit it never cooks properly!
ReplyDeleteHi Lisa,
ReplyDeleteI've been having quince with my porridge as well. Last time I made an upside down pear and ginger cake, I forgot to put a tray underneath to catch the drips. I set off the smoke detectors and my neighbours came to rescue me!
Have a lovely weekend,
J