Quince Paste

Name: Quince Paste
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 55 min
Yield: 16 servings
Cuisine: Australian
Ingredients: 1000 g quinces; 1200 ml Water; 800 g caster sugar; 60 ml Lemon juice; 10 g lemon peel; 1 piece vanilla bean; 1 piece cinnamon quill; 5 ml Vegetable oil

A luscious, ruby-red preserve with a firm sliceable texture and fragrant tart-sweet flavour, perfect for pairing with vintage cheddar and soft cheeses.

🇦🇺Australia· South Australia

Prep: 25 min
Cook: 150 min
Total: 175 min
Servings: 16
Difficulty: Medium
Calories: 95 kcal

Ingredients

0 of 8 gathered

Servings

1000 g quinces — washed, cored, and roughly chopped with skins left on
1200 ml Water — cold tap water for poaching
800 g caster sugar — weighed equal to cooked purée weight
60 ml Lemon juice — freshly squeezed
10 g lemon peel — wide strips of zest with white pith removed
1 piece vanilla bean — split lengthways and seeds scraped
1 piece cinnamon quill — whole dried stick
5 ml Vegetable oil — for lightly greasing baking tin

Equipment

•Heavy-based saucepan
•Stick blender or food processor
•Shallow square baking tin
•Baking paper
•Wooden spoon
•Kitchen scales

Nutrition

Per serving, approximate

Calories: 95 kcal
fat: 0.1 g
carbs: 24 g
fibre: 1.1 g
protein: 0.2 g
calories: 95 kcal

Instructions

1
Place the chopped quinces, lemon peel, and water into a large heavy-based saucepan.
2
Bring to the boil over medium-high heat, then simmer gently for 35 minutes until the fruit is tender.
3
Discard the lemon peel and drain the fruit, reserving 100 ml of the hot poaching liquid.
4
Purée the cooked quinces with the reserved liquid using a food processor until completely smooth and velvety.
5
Weigh the purée and return it to the pan with an equal weight of caster sugar, lemon juice, vanilla, and cinnamon.
6
Cook over low heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon until the sugar dissolves completely.
7
Simmer very gently for 90 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the paste turns deep ruby-red.
8
Remove the vanilla bean and cinnamon quill, then pour the hot paste into a greased, lined shallow baking tin.
9
Dry the paste in an oven set to 60 degrees C for 2 hours until firm to the touch, then cool completely.

Chef's tips

Stir constantly towards the end of cooking because the thick paste splutters and scorches easily. Use a splatter guard or long wooden spoon to protect your hands from bubbling hot fruit purée. Keep the skins on during boiling as natural pectin in the skin ensures a firm, sliceable set.

Ingredient substitutions

caster sugar → white granulated sugar in equal weight
vanilla bean → 1 tsp pure vanilla bean paste
cinnamon quill → 1 whole star anise

Storage

Wrap tightly in greaseproof baking paper and store inside an airtight container in the fridge for up to six months.

Reheating

Serve chilled or at room temperature, as quince paste does not require reheating.

Common mistakes to avoid

•Stopping the cooking process too early, which produces a runny jam instead of a firm paste.
•Leaving the pan unattended during late simmering, causing the concentrated sugar to burn at the base.
•Peeling the fruit before boiling, which strips out essential natural pectin needed for setting.

Serving suggestions

Slice thinly and serve alongside aged cloth-bound cheddar and crisp water crackers.Pair with creamy South Australian goat's chevre on warm sourdough toast.Cut into small bite-sized squares and roll in fine caster sugar as an after-dinner sweet.