Easy Membrillo Sweet Quince Paste Recipes

QUINCE PASTE - MEMBRILLO

Steps:

• Zest the lemon.
• If using fresh vanilla bean, split the vanilla bean.
• In a large pot, place the quince, vanilla bean and lemon zest.
• Add about 1 1/2 cups of water - just enough to cover the quince.
• Simmer on medium low heat for about 20 minutes, until the quince are very soft.
• Most of the water will have evaporated.
• Drain and puree the soft quince with 1/2 cup of water in a food processor.
• Measure the quantity of quince puree.
• Place the puree and equal amounts of sugar back in the pot - about 2 cups.
• Cook on medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. Add juice of the lemon and cook on VERY LOW HEAT, stirring often for 45 minutes, until thickened and rosy color.
• Preheat oven to 200 F..
• Line a baking dish with parchment paper.
• Transfer the thickened quince to the oven and bake for 2 1/2 hours until most of the moisture is gone and it is quite firm.
• Chill for at least 2 hours, but preferably overnight.

EASY MEMBRILLO (SWEET QUINCE PASTE)

Steps:

• Place all the ingredients in a medium pot over medium heat. Stirring occasionally, once the sugar has melted and the mixture begins to bubble, simmer uncovered for an hour or so, stirring occasionally, until the candy thermometer reads 220 degrees F. This doesn't always guaranteed it's ready, so at this point also do a plate test to make sure the mixture is done: Spoon a little of the liquid onto a cold plate and wait a couple of minutes. Push the liquid with your finger and if it wrinkles it is ready. If it doesn't, continue to simmer and re-test. The quince will increasingly change into a deep ruby red color.
• Grease a 8x8 inch glass baking dish. Puree the mixture with an immersion blender or blend in a Vitamix or similar until smooth. Pour the hot mixture into the greased baking dish and smooth the top. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 24-48 hours until firm. Invert the membrillo / quince paste onto a platter (you may need to gently pry it out with a knife). Note: Some recipes call for placing the membrillo in an oven at low temp (125 degrees F) for 8+ hours to firm it up. This membrillo is already firm and perfectly sliceable. If you prefer it even firmer, proceed with dehydrating it.Cover with plastic wrap and store in the fridge for up to 3 months or longer. For longer storage membrillo can be frozen well-wrapped for up to a year.
• Makes one 8x8 inch square of quince paste.Serve with your cheese & charcuterie board. Traditionally served with manchego but pairs beautifully with most aged, hard cheeses.

QUINCE PASTE

Steps:

• Wash, peel, and core the quinces, reserving the cores and peels. Coarsely chop the flesh and transfer the fruit to a large pan. Wrap the cores and peels in cheesecloth, tie the bag with kitchen string, and add it to the pan. (The peels contain most of the fruit's pectin, which contributes to the firmness of the quince paste.)
• Pour in enough water to cover the quinces and boil, half-covered, for 30 to 40 minutes or until the fruit is very soft. Remove the bag of peels and pass the quince flesh through a sieve or food mill. (For best results, don't use a food processor as it will result in too fine a texture.) You should have about 2 1/2 pounds of fruit pulp.
• Transfer the quince pulp to a saucepan and add the sugar (ideally, you should add the same amount of sugar, by weight, as the fruit pulp). Cook and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Continue cooking for about 1 1/2 hours, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon, until the paste becomes very thick and has a deep orange color. Draw the wooden spoon along the bottom of the saucepan: it should leave a trail and the quince mixture will stick to the spoon.
• Lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or line it with greased parchment paper. Transfer the quince paste to the baking dish, spreading it about 1 1/2-inch thick. Smooth the top and allow it to cool.
• Dry the paste on your lowest oven setting, no more than 125 degrees F (52 degrees C), for about 1 1/2 hours. Allow the quince paste to cool completely before slicing. (In Europe, the traditional method of drying the quince paste is to leave it in a cupboard for about 7 days. The remaining juices will continue to evaporate and render a drier paste.)
• Store quince paste in an airtight container in the refrigerator; the color will deepen with age.

QUINCE PASTE

Steps:

• Wash and rub the quinces to remove any fuzz and leaves and cut them into quarters.
• In a medium saucepan, combine the quince pieces, lemon half, and water and cook over medium heat, covered, until the quince is tender, about 1 hour. Remove from the heat and discard the lemon half.
• With a melon baller or spoon, scoop out the quince seeds and discard them. Pass the quince pieces and the cooking liquid through a food mill or press them through a coarse-mesh strainer. You should have 3 to 4 cups of purée.
• Put the quince purée and the sugar in a large heavy-duty saucepan or wide skillet and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture forms a thick, shiny, solid mass, 30 to 40 minutes. (Be careful as you stir because the hot mixture will sputter and pop.)
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper or oil it very lightly. Spread the quince paste into a layer 1/2 inch (1.5 cm) thick on the prepared baking sheet and let cool slightly. Once cooled enough to touch, wet your hand and smooth the surface of paste, then let cool completely.
• Using a sharp knife, cut the paste into 1-inch (3-cm) squares. If the paste is sticky, dip the knife in hot water and wipe it dry between each cut.
• Serving
• Serve the quince paste by itself, or with slices of a dry, sharp cheese, such as Manchego or Cheddar.
• Storage
• Stored in a container in a cool, dry place, quince paste will keep for at least 3 months. Do not store it in a very tightly sealed container or it will become soggy. Some folks layer a bay leaf between squares of the quince paste, which gives it a unique flavor.
• Variation
• You can make APPLE PASTE by using 3 large baking apples (about 2 pounds/1 kg). Cook the quartered apples in 1 cup (250 ml) water until soft, purée them, then cook the purée down to a paste with 2 cups (400 g) sugar and 1/4 vanilla bean, split lengthwise.

MEMBRILLO

Steps:

• Put the quinces and lemon zest and juice in a large heavy-based pan. Add enough water to cover the fruit. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hr until the quinces are very tender. Strain through a jelly bag or muslin-lined colander. Do not press out the juice - just leave it for at least 4 hrs, or ideally overnight, until the juice has dripped through.
• To make the jelly, put three saucers in the freezer. Measure the juice and return it to the pan (reserve the leftover fruit for the membrillo paste). For each 1 litre juice, add 750g sugar (or for each 100ml juice, add 75g sugar). Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then boil hard until set. This could take between 5 and 20 mins. To test for set, spoon a little onto a chilled saucer, leave for 1 min, then push your finger through the juice. If it wrinkles, the jelly is set. If not, return to the heat and boil again for a few mins, then test again.
• Remove from the heat and skim off any surface scum with a slotted spoon. Stir in the butter to dissolve any leftover sediment, then stir in the rose water. Pot into sterilised jars, seal and label. Store in a cool, dry place for up to one year.
• To make the membrillo, line a 16 x 24cm shallow oblong tin or tray with baking parchment. Tip the reserved fruit into a food processor and whizz to make a smooth-ish paste. Weigh the paste and for each 1kg paste, add 750g sugar (or for each 100g paste, add 75g sugar).
• Tip the paste and sugar into a large heavy-based pan and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and cook, stirring regularly, for 30-45 mins until the paste is thick and golden, and leaves a gap when you run a wooden spoon across the base of the pan. Be careful as the mixture will spit at you and can burn. Spoon into the tin or tray and smooth the top. Leave to cool, then chill overnight until it is very firm.
• Wrap the paste in fresh baking parchment, then over-wrap in foil and store in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.