QUINCES? or MEDLARS?
I recently was given a bucket of quinces. What's the problem? I was told they were medlars. The name is derived from the Spanish for "Dogs a**#. They should be bronziest brown with large indentation at the base surrounded by long spines. When they are ripe they ooze brown mush (I am sure the similarities with the origin of the name has occurred to you).
Anyway, they were my dad's favourite fruit, but he rarely got to experience them. I was so excited when I thought I was going to be cooking with his favourite fruit - but it was not to be. What I had been given were small quinces. Don't be sorry for me - they are beautiful. Thank goodness for slow cookers. I wouldn't have the time to cook them if it wasn't for the cooker. It is like cooking golf balls, but the result is a whole lot better - I doubt you could eat a golf ball no matter how long you cooked it. When I was a tot I remember my mum and aunt used to catch magpies and cook them (or any other large bird that came along). Like Quinces (or golf balls), they took a whole lot of cooking for very little result. They did render down to lots of oil, rather like Mutton Birds (also almost indelible unless you were in prison or starving).
But I digress, I did my quinces the easy way. First I cut into quarters, then I cooked until I was able to de-core easily. The skin can be left on, or it may just slide off.
Having de-skinned and de-cored, put fruit back into the liquor, and cook until they are soft. Pour off the juice into a bottle and save for later. They add about 3 cups of sugar for 4 cups of fruit and cook down. Then I take off soft sweet slices as below and put into microwave safe small tubs to freeze for desserts later. The balance I blend and cook down into a thick paste - sometimes i need to add more sugar. Nothing wasted. Even the cores are used in the compost. I will show you the paste when it is done...
Anyway, they were my dad's favourite fruit, but he rarely got to experience them. I was so excited when I thought I was going to be cooking with his favourite fruit - but it was not to be. What I had been given were small quinces. Don't be sorry for me - they are beautiful. Thank goodness for slow cookers. I wouldn't have the time to cook them if it wasn't for the cooker. It is like cooking golf balls, but the result is a whole lot better - I doubt you could eat a golf ball no matter how long you cooked it. When I was a tot I remember my mum and aunt used to catch magpies and cook them (or any other large bird that came along). Like Quinces (or golf balls), they took a whole lot of cooking for very little result. They did render down to lots of oil, rather like Mutton Birds (also almost indelible unless you were in prison or starving).
But I digress, I did my quinces the easy way. First I cut into quarters, then I cooked until I was able to de-core easily. The skin can be left on, or it may just slide off.
Having de-skinned and de-cored, put fruit back into the liquor, and cook until they are soft. Pour off the juice into a bottle and save for later. They add about 3 cups of sugar for 4 cups of fruit and cook down. Then I take off soft sweet slices as below and put into microwave safe small tubs to freeze for desserts later. The balance I blend and cook down into a thick paste - sometimes i need to add more sugar. Nothing wasted. Even the cores are used in the compost. I will show you the paste when it is done...
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