Everything about a quince is quirky and beautiful: the brilliant yellow of the skin, the soft down that coats it, the amazing fragrance.
It’s unusually handsome too, all curves and bumps, and its intrigue even extends to its botanical name. Cydonia oblonga. I want that name!
But nothing beats the magic of quince in the cooking. Gently poached, the pale, astringent flesh turns, like Autumn leaves, into the most luscious shades of amber and ruby, and develops an intense, sweet-tart taste to match.
The Spicy Quince Chutney recipe below packs all that flavour and more into a condiment that goes particularly well with barbecued or roasted pork, lamb or chicken. It’s thoroughly delicious and super-handy to have on hand.
Poaching the quinces is the first step in making the chutney, but if you double the quantities at this point you can also end up with cooked quinces to make a tart or to serve with syrup and ice cream for dessert.
And given that quince season isn’t all that long, it’s probably well worth making the most of it.
Jan
SPICY QUINCE CHUTNEY
3 quinces, peeled, quartered and cored
1.25 litres water
750 gm sugar
1 lemon, skin peeled into strips and julienned, juice reserved
125 gm honey
First, poach the quinces.
Add water, honey, sugar and the peel of the lemon to a large saucepan and bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve sugar.
Add quince quarters and simmer, with lid slightly ajar, for an hour or more, until the quince flesh is coloured and soft but is still holding its shape.
Remove fruit and return pan to the heat to reduce the syrup by a third.
(To reserve fruit for other purposes cover with some of the syrup and refrigerate.)
Then add all the ingredients below to the quince syrup and bring to the boil.
1 large onion, finely chopped
100 gm golden raisins
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon chilli flakes
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cardamom
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
100 ml apple cider vinegar
Return the quinces to the pan and simmer, stirring occasionally, for around an hour, or until the fruit is breaking down and the mixture is rich, glossy and thick.
Add the reserved lemon juice, stirring, and cook for another couple of minutes before removing the pan from the heat.
Ladle the chutney into sterilised jars and refrigerate until use.