Topic: Quinces - use rock hard or not??

[gavinjconway]

Hi my learned lottie friends...  I was given a packet of Quinces from my neighbours creeper over her door arch today. They are yellow and still rock hard... Another neighbour has some still a bit greenish yellow on a small spindly shrub that she says are quince...   I'll pick them soon before the frost as well..

Do I leave them to ripen and go soft before making jelly? I've never made it before so also need a good recipe please..

Thanks Gavin

[antipodes]

hee hee you'll wait till hell freezes over!
They are always rock heard even when very ripe. The trick is the smell and colour. They are ripe when they have a deeply fragrant smell and a dark yellow colour.
BUT if you are gonna make jelly, don't try peeling etc! Just scrub them then use a big knife and maybe even a hammer (not joking - please don't end up at Casualty though!) and chop them into big rough pieces and cook them up like that. I made lovely apple and quince cheese last year, still have a jar in fact, it is great with foie gras (if you like that) or with cheese as a refined accoompaniment. I prefer them mixed with apple as their flavour is fairly distinctive.

[grawrc]

I was just eyeing up the quinces in my front garden and wondering when to start picking them. They'e not quite there yet so probably another week or ten days.

[Obelixx]

Quinces can be used for more than just jelly.  I made this for a fête at the riding school over the road this weekend and the Belgians loved it. - http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/1660646/quince-crumble-tart I didn't get a taste so will have to do it again.

Nigel Slater has a recipe in his new series for roast quince to serve as a dessert or with strong meat.  See the BBC Food website.  I did them on Sunday and they are delicious.

Definitely rock hard and not easy to core but worth it.
 

[gavinjconway]

Thanks for all the advice.

Thing always happen in numbers...
1. got Japonica Quinces from my neighbour
2. picked a pile of biggish round JQ's from a hedge whilst on my rounds today collecting my catalogues in.
3. drove pase a house and eyed out a shrub absolutely laden with small flattish JQ's - so asked the owner if he used them and said help yourself... so i did.
4. got a pile of apples from a customers tree..
5. found another bush with more JQ's so picked them..

Then phoned my OH to go out to but a BIG bag of sugar, lemons and some pectin..

Boy am I going to have fun this weekend - a real mixed bag of difrerent types of jellies and jam sort of stuff to make and mix !!

[claybasket]

The only thing i know is that the Owl and the girl thingy Cat dined on mince and pieces of quince  ;D ;D

[pumkinlover]

It was on here I think I  read to use the pressure cooker which seems to work!
Made quince, baby fig and chilli jelly which is delicious :D
Planted a chaenomeles quince also this year to mix the fruits as someone put on here that works well.
That recipe looks good, I think I will clear out my recipe books and just look on here!

[gavinjconway]

So far made...

10 jars of Japonoica Quince and Apple Jamelly (jam x jelly - sieved to remove hard stuff)  and 19 jars Jelly...

Now to make  pure Japonica Quince Jelly... will add photo later on

[GrannieAnnie]

It has always interested me that no wild animal will touch our rock hard quinces, even in the dead of winter.
No deer, groundhog, raccoon, opossum, fox, box turtle, nor bird will even take a weensy bite.
Maybe it's because they don't have a pressure cooker?

[pumkinlover]

 ;D ;D ;D at Grannie Annie, trying them tonight on the woodburner(in a pan)!
Strangely enough it is the first year I have been able to cut them up even! Usually had to ask Mr PKL.
Try a bit of chilli Gavin! if you like it that is :)

[pumkinlover]

Cooked ;D

[Alimo]

I've made quince jelly today - thought it'd make good Christmas pressies.... but may not last till then, it is absolutely delish.

Alison

[gavinjconway]

Chillie.... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.... cant do hot stuff..

I ended up with 42 jars of Jelliy and Jamelly.. all set well.  ;D  ;D

[pumkinlover]

No need for it to be hot, like everything in life - chilli in MODERATION ;) ;) ;) gives it a glow ;D ;D ;D

[gavinjconway]

I got some apples from a customer and bought some cookers to add to them - made 14 jars of apple jelly.. had a bit of a scare with it not showing the setting point... rushed over to the neighbour for a couple of lemons to add.. it worked!  ;D