Topic: Quince

[qahtan]

Anyone grow quince. we  have a nice shaped small quince tree in the garden , we grew it from a pip many years ago.... We get a wonderful amount of pinkish blossoms on the tree, it also fruits, but my goodness are the fruits hard little devils to peel.
The strange thing about these Canadian grown quince is the fruits do not have the perfume or the taste of the English ones. Where in England a part of one quince would enhance an apple tree, here I make a whole pie of quince.
Different but very nice....... qahtan

[pumkinlover]

I grow it but only once have I got a good crop.
I have mainly used it to make a jelly, never made a pie. I understand that you leave them till soft, but in our climate I find the fruit has often split so cannot keep that well.
Last year I planted a chaenomeles as well as I read that this mix was nice. It has not fruited yet so I do not know.

[Melbourne12]

We have a quince tree, now at the end of its third year, but it hasn't fruited yet.

When be buy quinces, they can normally be quartered with a large sharp kinfe, then the quarters peeled and cored without too much difficulty.  If they're really hard, try softening them in the microwave.

[antipodes]

I would never try to peel quince, you'll have your fingers off! Scrub and wash and precook and take off the skin when it's cooked.  then again I have never heard of them used in pies, only jams jellies and preserves.

[qahtan]

They do make a delicious pie, but to do this you have to treat them like apples, peel core and dice into bite size piece's.
When do you reckon to pick them in UK, here it is October.
    Qatar

[saddad]

I've just had to dig mine out... a Meeches Polific.. it got some kind of bacterial canker and the leaves would go brown and drop. It has done it for three years so it had to go. The fruit never ripened/softened but kept well in the shed...

[qahtan]

this was some of last years crop.. this year they don't look as good... g
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y58/qahtan/102_0707_zps1c154de1.jpg

[pumkinlover]

I've very few and they are a lot smaller.

[antipodes]

It has done it for three years so it had to go. The fruit never ripened/softened but kept well in the shed...

Again in my experience with French quinces, they never soften... but when ripe they become a deep golden colour and they develop a very notceable perfume, a very rich sweet odour. Even ripe they are rock hard. They make a lovely fruit cheese mixed with apple!

[telboy]

I have had a Japanese quince for 35yrs. and manage to make I jar of quince jelly each year - exquisite!
A bit fiddly to deseed/quarter but it's worth it.

[gavinjconway]

I have had a Japanese quince for 35yrs. and manage to make I jar of quince jelly each year - exquisite!
A bit fiddly to deseed/quarter but it's worth it.

Hi Telboy - I'm confused why you de-seeded if you were making Jelly.. I just cut the bigger ones in quarters and the rest in half... add to the pot and water to just cover... cook for ages till all soft, mash a bit and then strain through the jelly bag.. The seeds add to the pectin.  The bushes I get my fruits from give me loads of  jars of jelly last year..