The first time most people buy a quince, they take a bite and immediately regret it. Raw quince is rock hard, dry and puckeringly sour. Cooked, it is a completely different fruit: soft, honeyed, fragrant, and often blushing pink. If you have a bag of them and no idea where to start, these quince recipes cover what to do with quinces, from the simplest poached quince to jelly, paste and a few savory dishes.
Meet the Quince
Quinces look like lumpy, golden pears, often covered in a soft grey fuzz. They are in season from October to December in the Northern Hemisphere, and from March to June in Australia and New Zealand. A ripe quince is bright yellow and smells strongly of flowers and honey. Green, scentless quinces aren’t ready yet; leave them in a bowl at room temperature for a week or two and they will ripen.
How to Prepare a Quince
- Rub off the fuzz with a dry cloth, then rinse.
- Use a large, sharp knife and a steady board. Quinces are very hard, so cut them into quarters first.
- Cut out the core and seeds. Keep the peels and cores if you plan to make jelly, since they are full of pectin.
- Peel if the recipe asks for it, and drop the pieces into water with a squeeze of lemon to stop browning.
Like apple seeds, quince seeds should not be eaten in quantity, so always remove them or strain them out.
Sweet Quince Recipes
Poached quinces
The best place to start. Simmer peeled quince wedges gently in a syrup of 1 liter water, 250 g sugar, a strip of lemon peel and a vanilla pod or cinnamon stick. Cook with the lid on for 1 to 3 hours, until tender and pink. The longer they cook, the deeper the color. Serve warm with yogurt, cream or porridge, and keep the syrup for drinks.
Quince jelly
Quinces are so rich in pectin that the juice sets into a clear, rosy jelly with just sugar and lemon. It is the classic quince preserve. Our jams and preserves section has step-by-step jelly recipes.
Quince paste (membrillo)
Cooked quince purée simmered with sugar for an hour or more until thick enough to slice. It is the famous Spanish partner for Manchego cheese.
Baked quince and apple crumble
Poach a couple of quinces first, then mix them with sliced apples under an oat topping. The quince adds perfume and a pink tint. Our apple crumble recipe with oats is a good base.
Quince tarte tatin
Arrange poached quince slices in caramel, cover with puff pastry and bake. Turn it out warm.
Savory Quince Recipes
- Roasted with meat: tuck quince wedges around roast pork, lamb or chicken for the last hour of cooking.
- In tagines and stews: quince is traditional in Moroccan lamb tagine and Persian stews, where its sourness balances rich meat.
- Quince chutney: cook diced quince with onion, vinegar, sugar and spices, just like our spiced pear chutney.
- With cheese: slices of membrillo or a spoonful of jelly alongside strong cheese.
Storing Quinces
Keep ripe quinces in a cool place for up to two weeks, or wrapped in the fridge for a month or more. Store them away from other fruit, because their strong scent spreads. Poached quinces keep in their syrup in the fridge for about a week, and they freeze well.
Common Questions About Quinces
Can you eat quince raw?
Most European varieties are too hard and astringent to enjoy raw. A few varieties grown in warm climates are softer, but cooking is the usual way.
Why do quinces turn pink when cooked?
Long, slow cooking turns natural compounds in the fruit into red pigments. The longer they cook, the deeper the color.
What does quince taste like?
Cooked quince tastes like a cross between pear and apple, with notes of honey, citrus and rose.
