GLUTEN-FREE CANDIED QUINCES
Have a jar or two of Candied Quinces in your larder, some whipped cream or ice cream and you’ll have a delicious dessert on the table in an instant.
Or use them, as we’ve done, in our Quince and Almond Cream Cake, or our Candied Quince and Ricotta Cake. Try replacing the rhubarb with Candied Quinces in our Rhubarb, Orange and Almond Tart.
The list could be endless.
Rosie
CANDIED QUINCES
2 lemons, juice only
1 litre water
4 quinces
700 gm caster sugar
750 ml water
Preheat oven to 130°C.
Combine lemon juice in a large bowl with water. Peel, core and cut quinces into eighths, retaining the cores and peel. Place each quince as you prepare it into the acidulated water to prevent it oxidising.
Place the caster sugar and water in a medium saucepan over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for 5 minutes.
Place the quince cores and peel in a large piece of muslin or similar and tie loosely together.
Place the quince pieces in a baking dish so they fit snugly and cover with the sugar syrup. Place the muslin-encased cores and peel over the top. This helps give the quinces their trademark deep red colour. Place a piece of baking paper directly on top of the muslin and then cover with a tightly fitting lid or foil and bake for 4 hours or until the quinces are a dark red colour but still holding their shape.
Allow to cool in their syrup, discard cores and peel, then transfer quinces to sterilised jars, ensuring they are covered by the syrup.
Store in the fridge. Quinces should last for up to 12 months.
TIP: Quinces have a short season in Australia and are time consuming to prepare. We usually make a double batch so we always have some on hand.