Quince

 

Have you ever taken a bite out of a quince? If you have then you probably won’t dare take another bite because this fruit is covered in fuzz, is hard, very dry, and tastes bitter. This poor fruit can’t even compete with its relatives apple and pear when eaten right off the tree. You can also only find this fruit during the fall season in the exotic fruit aisle of the grocery store. Some things taste better when cooked and this is defiantly one of those fruits.

Benefits of Quince:

I’m no expert. I a mom trying to introduce and teach my children about different fruits and vegetables.

I want them to see a fruit or vegetable at the super market and know what it is called, how to use it, and why it is so good for them.

This is why I do my Grown Healthy posts. Here is a list of our previous Grown Healthy posts: Pomegranate, Persimmon, oranges, and Papaya.

Quince is said to help lower our cholesterol, it is rich in anti-viral properties, and great for individuals who are trying to lose weight because it is packed with fiber. It helps stop nausea and vomiting when quince is eaten baked or boiled. If you are suffering with morning sickness try mixing quince with honey. Quince syrup works wonders for hemorrhoids.
 

Esther drew this beautiful still life picture of quince using pastels.

 

Quince Candy:

We enjoy quince best in the form of fruit candy. It’s so easy to make and this is the fastest way to get all that quiche eaten.

What you need: 4 quince, sugar, confectioner sugar powder, and parchment paper. You first want to peel the quince. Then cut into small pieces. Bring water to a boil and add your cut up quince to the pot. Once soft (this should not take more than 7 minutes if you have chopped the fruit in small pieces. You want to drain the water and place the fruit in a blender. Once pureed place the quiche sauce into a pot and add sugar. Add as much as you want. We start with 1/2 cups of sugar and then add more if we don’t think it’s sweet enough. You want to keep it on very low heat and occasionally mix it for about 2 hours. Take it off the heat and cover a dish with parchment paper. Pour you quiche evenly onto the parchment paper and let it stand for one day. Once it has hardened you want to cut it up into small square pieces and add confectioner sugar powder to prevent the quince candy from sticking to each other.

 

 

Quince Jam:

The most popular way to enjoy quince is by making your very own jam. Once you’ve made this jam you can add this jam to your favorite dessert or pie recipe. You can mix apples with quince when making this jam. Initially that is what Esther wanted to do but then she decided to stick with only quince. We think both ways tastes good. When making the jam you want to keep the quince peel. We used 3 quince and added 1 cup of sugar. We placed the sugar and the quiche in a pot. We then added enough water to only cover half of the quince. You don’t want to cook this on high heat, medium to low heat works best. You’ll want to mix occasionally for 1 hour. If the quince doesn’t feel soft or the quince is not sweet enough then cook it for longer and add more sugar. You might also want to add more water is you like your jam to be more softer and more watery. Let your jam cool and place in jars. We place our quince jars in the fridge.

 

 

Quince in the oven dessert:

This recipe is perfect for when you want just a little bit of something sweet after dinner or as a snack.

What you need: 2 quince, sugar, cinnamon, and melted butter. You first want to peel the quince and take the core out. Next, slice the quince and brush melted butter over both of the sides of the quince. Then mix 1 tablespoon of brown sugar to 1 teaspoons of cinnamon in a bowl. You’ll want to sprinkle the brown sugar and cinnamon mixture over the buttered quince. Place in the oven on 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes. Let them cool and top them with some walnuts, pomegranate seeds, or whipping cream. 
 

 

Quince Danishes:

This is probably our favorite dessert because these quince danishes can be blueberry, raspberry, apple, and so on danishes. You can use whatever fruit that is in season to make this flaky pastry with your children.

What you need

• 1 sheet of chilled, thawed frozen puff pastries
• 6 oz. cream cheese, soften
• 3 tbsp. of honey
• 1 egg
• 2 cups of quince jam (recipe above)

You want to first turn on your oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix cream cheese and honey together.

Unroll or unfold your puff pastries. Cut them into squares. Place them on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.

You now want to spread the cream cheese mixture onto the puff pastry.

Next add some quince jam that you made (recipe above) over the cheese mixture.

Fold opposite corners over first one and press to seal. Leave the remaining corners flat. Brush dough with egg wash (simply mix one egg and use a brush).

Bake danishes until golden brown and crisp. This usually takes 20 to 35 minutes. They can be served warm or cool.

 

 

I really hope you give quince a try. This fruit is surprisingly delicious.

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