Too Many Quinces??

This is the easiest way I have discovered to use up as many quinces as I can.  Our tree is laden, and I am picking them by the bucket load.

QUINCE JAM/JELLY

This recipe is so simple, but the  preparation time  in washing and cutting up the quinces is considerable! Don't throw out the liquid from the first boil. Use it to make quince jelly (see below).

This is how I prepare the quinces and through doing so many, I find I have got quite quick at the job now!

A good knife and peeler is very important when dealing with quinces.  Once ripe, mine lose their fluffy coats; if yours are still fluffy, wash them well first.

I cut off the two ends to make peeling easier.

It is then very easy to peel quickly.

Cut off the large pieces from the stone and cut into bite-size pieces for cooking.

Then cut off the smaller bits as well and throw all into the saucepan with water.

PREPARATION:

I use about 14 to 30 quinces at a time.

Wash, peel and remove seeds and any dark patches from the quinces. Cut into small chunks and put into a bowl of water to stop the flesh going dark. Drain and transfer to a pot with water with some lemon juice, just to the top of the quince pieces. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 30 minutes, turn off heat, and leave the pot on the stove for minimum of 30 minutes.  If I am busy, I leave over night!

Drain off liquid into another pot to make quince jelly (see below.)

To make jam, I mashed the fruit with a potato masher, the consistency should be similar to chunky apple sauce. Transfer to a large saucepan; I use jam sugar, add the correct weight of fruit to the directions on the sugar packet and bring to the boil with juice from one orange.  Cook for time stated on the packet and put into sterilised hot jars, put the metal lids on immediately and as the vacuum is formed over the next while, the lids should go "pop".

OR add sugar to taste. We do not like it very sweet, ¾ of a cup is enough for us and 1 bottle of cider or rose wine; I prefer the cider!   Bring to the boil and simmer for about 5 minutes.  I then bottle into hot jars from the oven and seal immediately.   Great for adding to fruit salads or eating just as it is, with crème fraiche or ice cream.  Most of my fruit this year has been bottled this way, as I still have jam from last year!!

QUINCE JELLY (Easy)

Make this recipe with the liquid from quince jam. Because quinces have high pectin content, it will set to a jelly without any additives. 

INGREDIENTS:

2 measures of liquid from the quince jam recipe by quantity (not weight)

1 measure of sugar by quantity (not weight) (I used ordinary sugar for this as the jelly sets so easily)

Juice from one or two lemons. 

PREPARATION:

Strain the liquid into a large saucepan (I use a paper filter in a funnel), stir in sugar and boil over high heat until it is a rich looking colour and about ¾ of the amount you started with; this takes about 40 minutes to 1 hour.  I find that when the colour looks a rich pink/ red, it is ready.  Skim off any foam and pour into hot jars with an airtight lid.   I have only once poured too soon and it did not set.  I poured the liquid  back into the saucepan and boiled it up for another 20 minutes and second time around it was perfect!

I also experimented this year with a cake which was delicious.  I based this recipe on Mary’s recipe at One Perfect Bite see HERE 

DIANE'S QUINCE CAKE

3 large quinces, peeled and each cut into four large pieces, plus the smaller bits off the centre stone.

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2/3 cup margarine, softened

4 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 heaped teaspoon bicarbonate of soda

Directions:

1) Put the quince into a saucepan and just cover with water, add cinnamon and honey.  Bring to boil and simmer gently until just tender.   Remove the largest pieces to cool on a plate.  The smaller pieces see 3)*

2) When ready to proceed, preheat oven to 180C. Generously grease or spray a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan. (I lined the bottom of pan with parchment paper and then greased the parchment paper as well)

3) Cream butter and sugar in another bowl until mixture is light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla. Combine flour and bicarb and gradually add to creamed mixture and beat until smooth.  *Fold the smaller drained pieces of quince into the batter and mix well.

4) Transfer batter to prepared pan. Push the larger bits of quince slices vertically into batter, spacing them over the cake. Bake for 1½ to 1¾ hours or until a toothpick inserted near centre comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pan to a wire rack. Serve hot or cold. Yield: 8 to 10 servings.

N.B. I covered the cake with cooking paper for the first hour, as I did not want it to burn!

Nice eaten as cake or as a dessert with crème fraiche.  As the cake is quite moist, it will only keep for about a week out of the fridge.

You can see how dark the fruit goes even in water...

As soon as it starts to heat up the fruit will go pale again.

Quince jelly and last years's jam.

Quince fruit ready for eating.

The cake was yummy.

I am now off to the kitchen with yet another large saucepan full of quinces....

Dinner at home

On friday night, we had a dinner party at home.  We had invited friends who have done many favours for us in the past, but because of my cough, the event had been postponed; however, I reached the point where, cough or no cough, I decided that we simply had to start living again!   I tried to make the menu as simple, but as tasty as possible.  As usual, the camera was forgotten at critical moments, but I did remember to take photos from time to time!!

The table ready for our guests. I have given up putting wine glasses on the table, as everyone seems to already have a glass in hand when we sit down to eat!!

We started with home-made celery soup; I used celery from the garden and the recipe I used was published HERE a few months ago. 


Of course, there was plenty of fresh French bread  to accompany the second course of fish mousse/pate, made to my recipe which I published very recently HERE.

The main course of beef casserole was not recorded by the camera!  I made up the recipe for 6 people, more or less as follows!  I fried up a few lardons, sliced onions and leeks, then added  2 kg of meat cut into chunks, together with a couple of sliced carrots. I cooked it all, turning the meat until it was browned.  Then I stirred in a couple of tablespoons of flour and  a bottle of red wine was added, still stirring until the mixture started to bubble.  I then seasoned with salt and pepper and some herbes de provence (mixed herbs); finally, I added a packet of quartered fresh mushrooms and a tablespoon of tomato paste.  I allowed the casserole to simmer very slowly, until the meat was tender.  It was just a case of adding what I felt it needed for flavour, very DIY!  We served the beef with mashed garlic potato, cooked chestnuts, peas and carrots.

This was followed by the cheese course, for which I again forgot the camera, but I have tried below to re-create the cheese board, with the some of the selection of cheese left in the fridge!

On the platter above are  (clockwise)- Emmental Français, Morbier, Coulommiers de caractère (mature), Petit Munster Géromé,  with  a morsel of Saint Agur in the centre.  The Comté was finished!

We finished off with a quince and apple tart.

Again, there was no recipe and it was very much DIY.   I lined the pie dish with bought pastry (I like saving time), and I blind cooked it for 20 mins.   I then filled the pie with quince that I had frozen last year, when I had so much from our tree.  I did cook it up lightly beforehand and I added a little sugar and cinnamon to taste.  I then sliced three large apples and cooked them very gently in a large non stick frying pan, in a mixture of lemon juice, a little butter, cinnamon and sugar.  When lightly cooked, but still holding their shape, I placed them on top of the quince.  The tart went into the oven  at 180C (350F) when we had our main course and by the time we had finished the cheese, it was ready to eat.

The dinner went well and it appeared that everyone went home more than satisfied!

I have also just updated My Life Before Charente.