How to make quince jelly

Why it goes pink, and why hurrying loses it

Raw quince flesh is cream-coloured. Long, gentle heat causes tannins and other compounds in the fruit to react and darken, taking the liquid through amber to rose to a deep ruby.

The colour develops with time rather than temperature. A quince boiled hard for twenty minutes gives a beige jelly; the same fruit simmered for two hours gives a red one. If the colour matters — and it is most of the reason to make quince jelly — the answer is patience rather than heat.

The aroma survives all of it, which is unusual. Quince is one of the few fruits whose perfume is not driven off by long cooking.

Jelly, and membrillo from the leftovers

Two preserves from one pan of fruit. FoodHQ does not publish keeping times, jar-processing schedules or the acidity figures that decide whether a sealed preserve is safe on a shelf. Those are safety numbers set by a food safety authority rather than by a cookery writer. In the UK the Food Standards Agency is the authority — follow its guidance on sterilising, sealing and storing, and treat this page as the explanation of what is happening in the pan.

1. Rub the grey down off the skins with a cloth. Chop the quinces roughly — skin, core, pips and all. Do not peel or core: that is where the pectin is.
2. Put them in a pan with water to cover and simmer very gently, uncovered, for an hour and a half to two hours, until the fruit is completely soft and the liquid has coloured.
3. Tip into a scalded jelly bag over a bowl and leave overnight. Do not squeeze if you want a clear jelly.
4. Measure the juice, add an equal weight of sugar, dissolve over a low heat, then boil hard. Quince sets quickly — start testing on a frozen plate at eight minutes.
5. For membrillo, push the pulp left in the bag through a sieve to remove skin and pips.
6. Weigh the purée, add roughly three-quarters its weight in sugar and a squeeze of lemon, and cook it very slowly, stirring often, until it is thick enough that a spoon drawn through leaves a clean trail.
7. Spread the paste in a lined tin, level it, and leave it somewhere dry for a day or two to firm up before turning it out.

Working with quince

Hardness

They are extremely dense. Use a heavy sharp knife and a stable board, and quarter before coring.

Browning

Cut quince oxidises quickly. Drop the pieces into acidulated water if you are preparing a lot.

Pectin

Very high, concentrated in the skin and core. Never peel or core for jelly.

Japonica quince

The ornamental garden shrub gives small hard fruit that works identically. Lower yield, same result.

Aroma

A bowl of quinces will perfume a room for weeks. Keep them away from anything that absorbs smells.

What to do with both

• Membrillo with manchego or another hard sheep's cheese, which is the Spanish classic.
• Quince jelly with cold meats, particularly ham and game.
• Jelly melted into a pan sauce for pork or duck.
• A spoonful of jelly in a gravy for lamb, in place of redcurrant.
• Membrillo in a tart or baked into a pastry with almonds.
• Jelly glazing an apple or pear tart, where the flavours reinforce.
• A few slices of raw quince in an apple pie, which is the simplest use of the fruit and transforms the pie.

Common questions