Quince Jam

Quince looks a bit like it's cousins the apple and the pear. It´s oval and irregular, with a fuzzy coating on its yellow skin which is sometimes mistaken for mold. It is hard textured and  if eaten raw it will make you squirm, it’s inedible. Quince releases into the air, a perfume, a floral,tropical scent that is incredible. Almost makes you want to eat the scent from the air. While my quinces sat in the kitchen, for a couple of days, I could not help and take a whiff of them my children stared at me like I was crazy everytime I walked past the fruit bowl.

Ancient Romans used the flowers and fruit of the quince tree for everything from perfume to honey. It was also considered a symbol of love and given to one's intended as a sign of commitment, and it has also been  suggested, that in the garden of Eden, Eve's fruit of temptation might have been a quince, and not an apple.
 When I bought my quince, our young Quince trees still have no fruit I knew exactly, what I wanted to do, make jam yes i know it's an addiction with them. I stumbled upon this recipe from Simply Recipes, and looked no further.

I wish you could smell them, the aroma is delicious

I added cinnamon sticks

and ended up using my emersion blender to make it smooth

Manchego and Quince jam are a perfect pairing

Quince Jam   from Simply Recipes

• 6 cups (packed) of quince, rinsed, grated (discard cores, leave peel on), from about 2 lbs of quince (about 5 quince) ( I used only 3 large quince)
• 4 1/4 cups water
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp lemon zest ( I added cinnamon sticks )
• 4 cups sugar

Method

1 Prepare the quince by washing and cutting in half. Working around the core, grate the quince flesh (including the peel) with a cheese grater, until you have about 6 cups of grated quince.

2 Put water in a large, wide, thick-bottomed saucepan (6-8 quarts) and bring to a boil. Add the grated quince, lemon juice and lemon zest. Reduce heat and simmer until the quince is soft, about 10 minutes.

3 Add the sugar and bring to a boil again. Stir to dissolve all of the sugar. Lower the heat to medium high. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until quince jam turns pink and thickens to desired consistency, about 30-50 minutes.
4 Ladle into hot, sterilized canning jars* and seal. Before applying the lids, sterilize the lids by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids.
* To sterilize the jars, rinse out the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.
Makes about 5 half-pints.

xo, Diana