Quince Syrup Recipes

QUINCE PRESERVES IN SYRUP

Steps:

• Have a large bowl of acidulated cold water ready (add about 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a half gallon of water). Peel and core the quinces. Slice the fruit into pieces not more than 1/4 inch thick. The shape of the slices is up to you: julienned, half crescents, small chunks. Any shape will work so long as no part of it is thicker than a quarter of an inch. As you work, drop the prepared slices of quince fruit into the bowl of acidulated water. About the color: Raw quince flesh is pale, like an apple or pear. If exposed to air it will oxidize to an unfortunate brown color. The soak in acidulated water minimizes that. The beautiful deep rosy color that is such an important part of quince recipes develops during cooking.
• Once all of the fruit is prepped, drain it in a colander and then transfer it to a large, non-reactive pot : no aluminum, copper, or non-enameled cast iron, which could cause discoloration of the final product. Stainless steel, heat-proof glass, or enameled pots are fine. Add 2 cups sugar, remaining tablespoon of lemon juice, and the water. Note that although I much prefer fresh lemon juice for most recipes, for canning recipes it is better to use bottled lemon juice. The reason is that commercially bottled lemon juice has a more consistent acidity level than freshly squeezed, and the acidity is important for safely preserving the fruit.
• Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the quince pieces are soft and blush colored and the liquid has reduced by at least half. This will take about 1 hour.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked quince to clean 1/2 pint or pint canning jars. It is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe. Pack the fruit in, leaving 1 inch of head space.
• Ladle the cooking liquid over the fruit pieces in the jars. The fruit should be completely immersed in the syrup, but there should still be 1/2 inch of head space between the food and the rims of the jars. Gently press down on the fruit with the back of a spoon to remove any air bubbles.
• Wipe the rims of the jars clean and screw on the canning lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Adjust the canning time if you live at a high altitude .

QUINCE SYRUP

Steps:

• Bring quinces, sugar, and 4 cups water to a boil in a medium stockpot. Reduce heat. Place a lid from a slightly smaller pot over fruit to keep submerged, and simmer until liquid is pale pink and has been reduced to a thin syrup, about 1 hour 10 minutes. Strain; reserve cooked quinces for stuffing. Stir in lemon juice.

QUINCE POACHED IN CARDAMOM SYRUP

Steps:

• Peel quinces, then quarter and core. Cover with water in a bowl (to prevent discoloration).
• Bring water, sugar, citrus slices, and cardamom pods to a simmer in a small pot, stirring until sugar has dissolved.
• Cut quince quarters into 1/4-inch-thick wedges and add to syrup. Return to a simmer and cover quince with a round of parchment paper. Simmer until quince is just tender, about 45 minutes. Discard citrus slices. Cool quince in syrup to room temperature, about 1 hour (color will deepen). Discard cardamom pods.

QUINCE DUMPLINGS WITH SYRUP

Steps:

• SYRUP :.
• Carefully peel and core the quinces you have quartered.
• Put the sugar into the water in a heavy based saucepan & boil until sugar dissolves.
• Add quince, stir, cover and return to the boil.
• Simmer for 2-3 hrs or until quince has turned a deep red wine colour.
• DUMPLINGS (make just prior to serving) :.
• Sift the flour and icing sugar together in a bowl a rub in the butter.
• Combine the egg, milk and lemon juice and add this to the flour and butter mix.
• Mix to form a thick batter of dropping consistency.
• Gently remove quince pieces from the syrup and drain using a slotted spoon (this is easiest if the syrup is warm or hot) and set them aside in a bowl.
• Add a little water so there is enough liquid for the dumplings to float.
• Drop balls of batter in the syrup leaving enough room for expansion between each of them. Cover and simmer for 8 minutes or until fluffy and well risen (twice or more x their original size). Test with a wooden skewer.
• Lift them out and put a few more balls in to cook.
• Serve with the quince and syrup and you can add cream, ice-cream or custard over the top, or all 3 if you like!

QUINCE IN SYRUP

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, combine the quinces with water to cover. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook, uncovered, until barely tender, 10 to 15 minutes. Drain the quinces and, when cool enough to handle, peel, halve, core, and cut into slices.
• In a saucepan large enough to accommodate the sliced quinces, combine the sugar, 1 cup water, cloves, and cinnamon sticks. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the quinces and additional water if needed to cover. Simmer for 5 minutes. Then, over the course of 12 hours, bring the quince slices to a boil in the syrup 3 times. boiling them for 5 minutes each time. This helps to bring up the rich red color of the fruit and allows them to absorb the syrup over time.
• Transfer to a serving dish and refrigerate. Serve chilled.

QUINCE LIQUEUR

Steps:

• Rub quince with a kitchen towel really well until skin is smooth. Cut unpeeled quince into small cubes.
• Peel lemon zest into spirals with a thin peeler. Squeeze lemons and measure 3/4 cup lemon juice.
• Combine quince, lemon zest, lemon juice, vodka, and sugar in a large jar with a tight-fitting lid. All ingredients need to be completely covered with liquid. Keep in a warm place or on a sunny window sill for 4 weeks, shaking occasionally.
• Line a sieve with a damp cheese cloth and strain liquid. Use a wooden spoon to press as much liquid out of quince pieces as possible. Pour strained quince liqueur into sterilized bottles and seal. Allow to mature for 6 weeks in a cool place.

QUINCE SODA SYRUP

Steps:

• Place quince, sugar, lemon juice, and salt in a medium saucepan along with 4 cups water. Cover and bring to a simmer over medium heat; let simmer for 2 hours.
• Add more sugar, if desired, and let cool. Transfer to refrigerator and let chill overnight.
• Strain and discard solids. Transfer syrup to an airtight container and keep refrigerated until ready to use, up to 2 weeks. To serve, fill a 16-ounce glass with ice cubes and add 1 1/2 ounces syrup; top with seltzer and stir to combine.