What Are Quinces and How Can I Use Them?
Here's everything worth knowing about quinces and how to pick them, what they are, how to store them, and what to use instead, plus 10 recipes to cook tonight.
Key Points
- Quince is a hard, tart apple-pear cousin that is inedible raw but transforms when cooked.
- Slow cooking with sugar turns it tender and deep rose-pink, tasting of honeyed apple and flowers.
- Its high pectin and acid make it ideal for jelly, marmalade, and firm membrillo paste.
- Pulled too early it stays gritty; cook until soft and watch the color deepen.
- Firmer and longer-keeping than apples, lasting up to two months in the refrigerator.
What are quinces?
Quince is a hard, golden, pear-shaped fruit that looks like a knobby cross between an apple and a pear, which makes sense since all three are cousins. Raw it is mouth-puckering and far too hard to bite, so almost nobody eats it out of hand.
Cooked is a different fruit entirely. Slow heat and sugar turn the pale, tannic flesh tender and deep rose-pink, with a flavor like honeyed apple crossed with floral citrus.
That change is the whole point of quince, and it is why the fruit lives in the preserving pot.
How to Use Quince
Quince needs long, gentle cooking to turn tender and develop its color and aroma. Peel and core it like an apple, then poach or stew the pieces low and slow.
Keep the peels and cores in the pot tied in cheesecloth, since they hold much of the pectin and color that make a great preserve.
Preserving is its true calling. Quince is naturally high in both pectin and acid, so it sets jelly and marmalade with ease, as in Quince Marmalade, Apple Quince Jelly, and the Greek Kythoni Xysto (Grated Quince Preserve).
Cook it down far enough and you get membrillo, the firm, sliceable quince paste sold here as Quince Cheese. It is a classic partner for manchego.
Quince works in savory dishes too. Its tartness cuts through rich meat, which is why it turns up in Persian and Caucasian stews like Parcha Bozbash, a lamb soup that simmers quince alongside chestnuts and prunes.
A whole quince left in a fruit bowl perfumes the room with a heady, floral scent.
Pairing and What to Watch For
Quince loves warm spices, above all cinnamon and clove, plus fruity partners like apple, pear, cranberry, and honey. On the savory side it stands up to lamb, pork, game, and aged cheese.
The mistake to avoid is undercooking. Quince must cook long enough to soften completely, because pulled early it stays gritty and harsh, where another half hour of gentle simmering turns it silky and rosy.
Watch the color as a doneness cue. The longer it cooks, the deeper the pink, so if your preserve is still pale, it likely needs more time, not more sugar.
Substitutes
No quince? For a preserve or a dessert, firm cooking pears or tart apples come closest in flavor, though they cook far faster and never turn that signature pink. Add a strip of lemon peel to nudge them toward quince's floral note.
Because those swaps carry less pectin and acid, a jelly or marmalade may need added pectin and a squeeze of lemon to set. For a savory stew, tart apple holds its shape reasonably well and brings the same sweet-sour lift against rich meat.
Buying and Storing Quince
Choose quince that feel firm and heavy for their size, with mostly yellow skin and little or no green. A few brown blemishes are fine. Many arrive with a grey fuzz on the skin, which simply rubs off and is no cause for concern.
Quince keeps far longer than apples or pears. Stored in the refrigerator it stays good for up to two months, and even at room temperature it lasts a week or more while it finishes ripening and sweetens its scent.
Keep ripe quince away from other fruit you want to last, since they give off ethylene gas that speeds ripening in everything nearby.
Quick facts
- In Chinese
- 榅桲
- British (UK) term
- Quinces
- en français
- coings
- en español
- membrillos
Recipes using quinces
There are 10 recipes that contain this ingredient.
Kythoni Peltes (Quince Jelly)
Kythoni peltes is a traditional Greek quince jelly scented with rose geranium leaves and lemon juice. A slow, old-world preserve that turns jewel-pink as it sets.
Kythoni Xysto (Grated Quince Preserve)
Kythoni xysto, a traditional Greek grated quince preserve with cinnamon bark, lemon zest, and toasted almonds. Sets naturally using pectin extracted from the quince peels and cores.
Quince-And-Cranberry Compote
Quince and cranberry compote slow-cooked with cloves, allspice, cinnamon, and orange zest. The quince turns deep pink after two hours and gets balanced with balsamic vinegar.
Cranberry Quince Jelly
Try this fruity jelly that is delicious on crackers, sandwiches and even toast!
Parcha Bozbash - Lamb Soup with Chestnuts, Quince,& Prunes
Parcha bozbash is a Caucasian lamb soup with chestnuts, quince, prunes, and chickpeas in a rich beef broth finished with clarified butter. A hearty, aromatic stew with sweet and savory depth from traditional regional ingredients.
Prune Conserve I
Old-fashioned prune conserve with quinces, apples, oranges, watermelon rind, raisins, and chopped nuts. A thick, jammy fruit preserve with complex flavor from six different fruits.
Christmas Compote Jam
Christmas compote jam blends dried figs, dates, apricots, three nuts, and candied orange in a quince-juice base spiced with cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and star anise. A three-day European holiday preserve worth every step.
Quince Cheese
Fruit Cheeses are closely related to jams and jellies but have a firmer texture and are usually served moulded and cut into chunks as an accompaniment to roast or cold meats. Quince really makes the best cheese and is a wonderful rich amber colour. It is a particular speciality of Spain and is traditionally eaten as a sweet snack. This recipe will keep for 2 years and makes a wonderful and unusual gift.
Quince Marmalade
Quince marmalade with whole orange and orange juice, simmered with sugar until it sheets from a spoon. No pectin needed thanks to quince's natural gelling power.
Apple Quince Jelly
Homemade jelly combining tart apples and fragrant quinces in equal proportions. Cook the fruits separately, strain through a jelly bag, then boil the blended juices until they sheet from a spoon.
