Quince Paste (Pâte de Coings)
Preparation time: 1 hour
Cooking time: 1 1/2 hours
Quince is an old fashioned but dearly loved fruit with Provence traditionalists. Quince paste is one of the 13 sweets of the traditional Provence Christmas. It combines well with cheese and is a delicious spread for breakfast in place of jams.
In Spain and Spanish speaking Latin America quince paste is known as Membrillo, in Portugal and Brazil as Marmelada.
Quince paste preserves well in airtight containers and the color turns darker with age.
Ingredients:
- 2 kg (4 1/2 lbs) quinces
- 1 1/4 kg (2 1/2 lbs) sugar
- water
Preparation:
Wash, peel and core the quinces. Chop flesh coarsely. Put cores and peels into a muslin bag and add it to the quince flesh in large pot or pan. The cores and peels in the muslin bag release additional pectin while cooking, thus adding to the firmness of the quince paste.