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Quince, the "Golden Apple"
• by Sharon Arnot
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Not long ago, some friends and I went to dinner at Kirk’s American Bistro in the Central West End. Roasted Garlic Plate was featured as an appetizer, and my friend and I decided to share it as a first course. It was a large platter filled with wonderful roasted garlic, several different cheeses, a lot of delicious ripe fruit and some small purple slices of something I couldn’t identify. When I asked our server about it, he said it was quince, a fruit made into a paste. My friend and I tried the quince on some cheese and were delighted. The flavor was sweet and unlike any fruit we had ever had. I love being pleasantly surprised by food new to me and the quince on that dish did just that. I was excited to share it with everyone else at the table. Then, just the other day, I was at Whole Foods and lo and behold in their fabulous cheese case was quince paste. I decided I had to do some research and find out more about this fruit.
Quince, as it turns out, is one of the earliest known fruits. In fact, it is thought to be the "golden apple" in the Garden of Eden. Quince is native to the Middle East, and was brought to Greece by ancient Greek armies. For over 4,000 years quince trees have grown in Asia and the Mediterranean. Today, quince is also found in Latin America, the Middle East and the United States (California).
The quince is a member of the pome fruit family and a relative of the apple and pear; the flavor of quince can best be described as a cross between an apple and a pear. In the raw form, the rind is rough and wooly, and the flesh is hard as a rock. The taste is very astringent. However, in western Asia and the Mediterranean, the fruit is softer and more juicy.
The quince tree is a small, irregularly formed tree that grows to about 15 feet tall. They are commonly used as a rootstock for dwarf pear trees. The leaves are deep green and the trees have white to pink to red flowers. The fruit is golden yellow and pear shaped.
Since the flesh of the raw quince of the United States is hard and dry, it is rarely used in the raw form. Instead, it is cooked, and its flesh becomes softer, sweeter, and turns light pink to purple. The most common way to eat quince is in jellies, preserves or as a paste. It contains a high amount of pectin, making it great for cooking in this manner. Quinces also tend to hold their shape when cooked, so they are ideal for poaching, stewing or baking as a dessert. Quinces go well with both savory and sweet spices, such as chili, wine, honey, citrus and most meats and poultry. Quince paste and any pungent cheese make an especially good combination; simply cut thin slices of cheese, such as Manchego, and top with quince paste.
Quinces can usually be found in supermarkets from September through January. Select fruit that is large, firm and yellow, with little or no green. A mature quince has a fragrant smell, and the down on its skin can be rubbed off easily. The best way to store quince is in a tightly sealed bag in the refrigerator where it can last up to two months. Whole Foods said they regularly have quince paste in stock.
So there it is, quince in a nutshell. Whenever I am asked to bring a dish to a party, I try to bring something new and different for my friends to try. I can’t wait to introduce them to quince. I think they will love it, and so will you.
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Quince Cheese
Ingredients:
3 lb. ripe quinces
About 8 cups water or hard cider
2-3 strips of lemon rind
Juice of 1/2 lemon
Granulated sugar
Mild oil, such as almond or peanut, for brushing
Superfine sugar, for dusting
Method:
Wash the quinces well to remove any fluff, then chop coarsely. Place in a noncorrosive saucepan with enough water or cider to cover and add the lemon rind and juice. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 30-45 minutes, until the fruit is very soft.
Press the mixture through a sieve or pass it through a food mill. Measure the puree and allow 1 and one-half cups sugar for every 2 cups puree.
Return the puree to the cleaned pan and add the sugar. Bring slowly to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, for 2 and one-half to 3 hours, until the mixture “plops” and is very thick. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
Brush a baking sheet or roasting pan with plenty of oil. Pour the cooled cheese onto the sheet and smooth to an even layer 1 to 1 and one-half inches thick. Let cool completely, then cover loosely with a clean cloth and leave in a warm, dry place for 24 hours.
Loosen the cheese with a narrow spatula, then turn out onto waxed paper. Cut into squares or diamonds and dust with superfine sugar. Arrange on baking sheets and let dry, loosely covered with baking parchment.
To store, arrange the cheese in layers between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container.
*Recipe from Preserving by Oded Schwartz
Eve and Adam’s Honey-Baked Quince
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
4 to 6 unblemished quinces (about 2 pounds), peeled, cored and quartered
1 cup dry white wine
One-third cup honey
One-half cup sugar
Grated zest of half a lemon
One-half teaspoon cinnamon
One-eighth teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
Pinch salt
Method:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Slather the butter over a shallow baking dish that will snugly hold the quince. Tuck in the quince pieces. Blend together the remaining ingredients and pour over the fruit. Lightly cover with foil. Bake 20 minutes.
Uncover and continue baking another 15-20 minutes, or until quince are easily pierced with a knife. Cool fruit in its baking dish. Serve warm or at room temperature. If desired, you could drain off the syrup, boil it down to concentrate the flavors and pour over the fruit.
Vanilla ice cream scooped over warmed-up baked quince is the stuff of dreams.
*Recipe by Lynne Rossetto Kasper, the host of “The Splendid Table,” Minnesota Public Radio’s national food show.
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