I usually make membrillo from quince each year, but it is quite a process. So this year I decided to do something different. As per part 1 of the apple and quince saga, I did poach some quince that then got use with the leftover apple mash from juice, to make a pie. Here is my simple poached quince recipe.

Spiced Poached Quince

Peel about 8 quince and cut into quarters. Take out the cores and then cut each piece in half again.

Put in a pot with a cup of sweet white wine, a cinnamon quill, a star anise, 3 tablespoon of honey and a little water to almost cover the quince pieces.

Set on to a low simmer and let the quince pieces poach until soft, but not mushy. Pop into jars with any remaining liquid and seal tightly.

Now for 2 quite different quince jams. The first is a DoP traditional recipe from Foggia. It is used more like a conserve and put into desserts or baking. Luckily my neighbour had a great crop of delicious grapes at the same time as another neighbour had quince. So this is the perfect recipe. Don't let the idea of preserving it in olive oil and bay leaves put you off. It adds great flavour.

Mostarda di Uva e Mele Cotogne

This traditional conserve comes from the Foggia province in Puglia at the bottom of Italy. It can be used like a jam or used in cakes, desserts and sweets

Mix together 1 kilo of quinces cut into small pieces, 1 kilo of grapes, 500 grams of sugar and some water. Cook until it reaches the desired consistency.

To preserve the jam first put some extra virgin olive oil in the bottom of the glass jars. The jar is then filled with the jam and covered with another layer of extra virgin olive oil. Some vine or bay leaves are placed on top of the jar which is then closed for storage.

Use this conserve in baking or desserts.

The second jam recipe is based on one made where quince came from originally- the Middle East. Green cardamom is the perfect spice flavour to add to a quince jam.

Quince, Blood Orange and Cardamom Jam

Quince is native to Lebanon, Turkey. Greece and Iran and is found throughout the Middle East. It has a natural pectin in the cores, which helps make it into a delicious jam, but you can also make the jam without the core part. This recipe is based on a Lebanese one and has the beautiful flavours of blood orange and cardamom in it.

Cut 1kg quince into quarters and take out the cores. Put the cores into a pot with 1 litre of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 1 hour

Meanwhile keep the quince quarters in water with the juice of half a lemon- to stop them going brown.

Strain the liquid off the cores and throw the cores away. Drain the quince quarters and slice them up a bit more. Put them in a pot with 1 kg of sugar, the liquid off the strained cores, 4 cardamom pods (that have been given a light bash to release the flavours), the juice of one blood orange and another blood orange sliced thinly.

Bring to a low simmer and cook for about 1 hour until it has reached jam consistency. The blood orange slices should have dissolve a bit, but don’t forget to take out the cardamom pods before jarring up