Quince Jelly
Make this stunning rose-colored quince jelly scented with a hint of lemon. This recipe needs no added pectin and sets beautifully. It’s the perfect way to use up an abundant quince harvest.
Recipe makes about eight 1-pound jars
Whatcha Need:
- 8 quince
- Sugar
- Juice from 1 lemon
Whatcha Do
-
Take 8 fine, ripe, yellow quinces, scrub them well to remove any dirt and cut away any brown bits.
-
Cut the fruit in quarters and chop roughly (no need to remove the peel or cores). They’re very hard, so a good, stout knife will be necessary.
-
Put the chopped flesh in a preserving pan. Add enough water to cover the chopped quinces (about 8 cups, depending on your pan and the size of the quinces). Simmer quince very gently for about 45 minutes or until soft when pierced with a knife.
-
Tip the quince into a colander lined with a muslin or other fine cloth set over a large bowl. Leave overnight to let the juice seep gently out – it’s permissible to give it a bit of a squeeze at the end to extract maximum juice, but don’t overdo this or the juice will be cloudy. Discard all the pulp.
-
Pour juice into a measuring jug. For every 4 cups of liquid, allow 1½ pounds of sugar. Put juice and sugar, plus the juice of 1 lemon, in the preserving pan. Bring to a rolling boil, then boil for 20 to 30 minutes.
-
Start testing for a good set after about 25 minutes: Place a saucer in the freezer, spoon a little jelly onto it, leave for a few seconds, then pull your finger through it. The jelly should wrinkle and form a distinct channel.
-
Pour jelly into sterilized jars and cover while still warm.
Photo by Sue Style
