quince
paste
There are two versions. Version one straight quince paste and version two uses the entire fruit with multiple end products.
TRANSFERRED FROM GALAXYGUIDES.COM …AO 7 JUNE 2023
QUINCES POACHED WITH CINNAMON AND STAR ANISE…ACCOMPANIMENT THICK FARM CREAM. SERVED WARM IN WINTER.
version
one
quince paste makes a 30cm a 40cm slab
5kg quinces, scrubbed
5kg water
5kg sugar
100g fresh strained lemons juice
25g agar agar
Prepare a tin by lining it with baking parchment and stand it on a rack. Core the quince and use them to make quince jelly – see recipe below. Put the quinces and water into a large pot (at least twice as big as the volume or it will boil over) and place it on high heat. Boil rapidly until the quince turn a very pale pink. Add the sugar and stir just long enough to lift the sugar from the bottom and boil until the quinces have a good colour.
The next stage is very fast
Either process the fruit in a Thermomix, food processor, blender or use a stab and puree. Bring to the boil again, add the lemon juice and whisk in the agar agar. Boil for two minutes, ensure that the agar agar has been incorporated and then pour into the prepared tin.Allow to cool completely, standing a rack on top and contact cover the top with baking paper.
Wearing food service gloves, the next day cut into manageable portions and wrap in baking parchment and vac. If the process has been followed it can be stored in a cool place.
version two
Five kilograms of fruit makes the following:
approximately 1.5l glacé quince (savoury or sweet)
75ml vinegar quince jelly
3l sweet quince jelly
16cm x 11cm x 5cm deep slab of quince paste
Take 5kg of ripe quinces and put them into cold water. Scrub the fur from them with a vegetable brush and rinse them. Using a very sharp cook’s knife, cut the ends from the quinces, cut them into quarters, cut away the core, then peel them using a very sharp paring or beaked knife. Put the ends, cores and peels into one pot and the peeled quince quarters into another pot.
To the cores and peels, add 10l of cold water and place the pot on high heat. Cook until the quinces start to go pink, then add 4.5kg of sugar.
Continue cooking until the quince pieces are very dark ruby red. Test a tablespoon of the jelly on a cold plate to make sure it sets, then strain off the quince jelly, bottle in sterilised jars and seal.
Mouli the remaining pulp (you can expect to have about 60 per cent waste) and put the sieved quince into a tin that has been lined with baking paper. Cover the top with baking paper and cook unattended at 125°C for 2 hours.
Allow to cool standing on a rack for 24 hours, remove from the tin and further air dry uncovered on a rack for 4 days. (Yes, no more dreaded burns from the boiling quince paste, exquisite dark colour and no stirring for hours.)
To the quince quarters add 2.5l water and 1l of white wine vinegar for savoury, or 3.5l of water for sweet, and put them on high heat. When they start to pink slightly, add 2.5kg sugar, stir through and boil, skimming the scum that comes to the surface.
To the savoury, add 30g whole pimento. Continue cooking, stirring frequently as the colour starts to turn dark ruby red, until the sauce will set on a cold plate and the fruit has that wonderful translucent glacé appearance.
Either pack in sterilised jars with fruit and jelly, or separate the two and pack independently. You might like to make half savoury and half sweet. If you’re short on time, you might like to double the recipe and hire two 50l pots and big gas burners from a hire company – four hours and you’ll have enough for a year."
TRY THIS FAB DESSERT CAKE
QUINCE
PASSIONFRUIT
CURD SPONGE
Make a four egg Pam Field’s Sponge in two 20 cm tin. Split the layers and fill with Passionfruit Curd, smother the cake in more curd and decorate with slices of sweet poached quince. Fresh passionfruit garnish and Lily Pillies [akka ryberries].