Sustainable Life: How to make quince paste
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A picnic basket is not complete without cheese, crackers and quince paste.
The sweet, aromatic quince flavour can transform an everyday cheese platter into something truly spectacular.
Quince paste is surprisingly simple to make. The key ingredient is patience—as it needs to be simmered for about two hours on a very, very low heat, with occasional stirring.
If you really want to show off, make quince paste from your very own quince fruit. The trees are related to apples and pears. They’re just hardier. Source your quince tree as rootstock from your local nursery in autumn or winter.
Quinces will thrive in full sun and in well-drained, rich soil. They can grow just about anywhere, including in pots, and still produce fruit. For those who aren’t yet feeling confident, you’ll be pleased to learn that quinces don’t need much water.
While they do prefer water when establishing and producing fruit, they are also pretty good with neglectful watering.
Enjoy beautiful, white blossoms in the springtime and in early autumn, simply harvest their bright yellow, knobbly fruit for your quince paste.
Here’s how to create your own delicious quince paste.
Step One
Take one kilo (approx. four) ripe quinces. When ripe, quinces have yellow skin, and very firm flesh.
Peel their skin, quarter and chop out the tough core then roughly chop up your quince flesh.
Freshly chopped quinces have a truly delightful aroma reminiscent of peach, mango and sweetness that is fit for royalty.
Step Two
Place the chopped quinces in a heavy-based saucepan. Add 100ml of water. Stew the chopped quinces, on a low heat until they are very soft.
Stir semi-regularly to prevent the stewing fruit from sticking to the saucepan’s bottom. This will take 20-30 minutes.
Step Three
Using a stick blender, puree the quinces in the saucepan.
Step Four
Add 500g of white sugar to the pureed quince paste and stir it through. Place a simmer mat underneath your saucepan, and return the saucepan to a very low heat for 2 hours. Stir occasionally.
If you don’t have a simmer mat, be a little more vigilant with your stirring and embrace the ‘caramelisation’ that comes with the quince mixture at the bottom of your saucepan.
You’ll know that your quince paste is ready to be removed from the saucepan when it becomes very thick in the saucepan, and the colour has changed from yellow to a rich, dark red.
Step Five
Line six small ramekins with plastic wrap. Place the quince paste into the ramekins, so that it can be shaped into small ‘wheels’. Set the quince paste wheels by cooling them in the fridge for two hours. Store in the fridge.
If you prefer to avoid plastic, set your quince paste into several small jars. Store your jars in the fridge.
Enjoy your truly spectacular picnic experience, with cheese, crackers and the delightful flavours of homemade quince paste!
