Quinces are an interesting fruit but really need to be cooked to be able to be eaten. The usual way to cook or preserve Quince is to either bake it or simmer down to a paste and add some sugar to help preserve it.

Here I have used a traditional italian method of a simple simmer with some water, a few slices of orange and a sprinkle of sugar. I used one large Quince that was about 10-15cm in diameter.  It was sliced with the core removed and then set to a low simmer in a covered pot for about 30-45 mins.

When the quince and orange was soft and started to fall apart (when poked with a stick) I mashed it all down. You do this while still on the heat and sprinkle the sugar on to it.

The sugar I used is a demerara sugar. I added about 8 desert spoons – maybe half a cup. It helps to bind the remaining fluid as a syrup. I just used a potato masher to mix it all up.

Then you just turn off the heat and let it cool and put it in a bottle or similar preserving container and store in the fridge. Assuming you don’t eat it all in the first week it will last some time like that.

It makes a great addition to desserts or scones with a good vanilla ice-cream or just laid out on some flaky pastry and cooked quickly.

Made some more pastries today [9 April] with this quince paste… and this is what they look like. Simple small flaky pastry turnovers sealed with egg white and some dropped into some short crust mini flans.

And after 30 mins in oven at about 150…