How to cook quince
Information for quince in our free cooking ingredients collection.
Quince
The quince is a member of the same family as apples and pears. The mature fruit ranges in size and shape from that of a small plum to that of a large pear, depending on variety. In cool, temperate climates, the quince’s rough, woolly rind develops a golden color when ripe. Its firm, white flesh has a strong fragrance, but the fruit is hard and sour and is generally inedible unless cooked.
Family - Rosaceae
Scientific name - Cydonia oblonga
Common name - quince
High in vitamin C
Varieties
The two most common varieties of American quince are the pineapple quince and the perfumed quince. The pineapple quince is round and has a yellow skin and white flesh that is somewhat dry. The flavor is similar to that of pineapple. The perfumed quince is the shape of a small football and has a tart flesh. Great Britain produces the Portugal, the apple-shaped, and the pear-shaped quince. The Japanese quince has a slightly more acidic flavor. Several small varieties are often used for bonsai plants.
Origin and botanical facts
Known throughout Asia and the Mediterranean region for about 4,000 years, the quince originated somewhere in the Middle East (possibly Iran), where it still grows wild. The ancient Greeks cultivated a common variety of quince but grafted onto it a better variety from Cydon, a town in Crete, from which the word “quince” is derived.
The ancient Romans believed the quince had medicinal and mystical powers because it had been held sacred by the goddess Venus. The quince became a symbol of love and happiness, a symbolism that lasted into the Middle Ages. Quince was eaten at weddings, shared by brides and grooms as a token of their love. Medieval English manuscripts contain recipes mentioning “char de Quynce”, the old name for quince marmalade. In fact, the word “marmalade” is derived from the Portuguese word for quince, “marmelo”. Today the quince is cultivated throughout the Mediterranean, in South America, and in the United States, where California is the leading producer.
Quince grows as a many-branched deciduous shrub or small tree, no more than 10 to 12 feet tall, and produces large, fragrant white, pink, or red flowers before the leaves appear. The plants are propagated by seeds, shoots, cuttings, or layering. The flowering quince is popularly grown as an ornamental plant.
How to cook quince
Quince is available only in the autumn. Unripe fruits can be ripened at room temperature. Ripe quince, which is fragrant, can be kept in a perforated plastic bag in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Because of the quince’s dry, hard texture and its astringent flavor, it is better consumed cooked than raw. Before being cooked, quince must be peeled, cored (the seeds contain a cyanide compound), and placed in a mixture of water and lemon juice to prevent discoloration. When cooked, the hard pulp of the fruit softens, turns pink, and takes on the texture of a pear. The flavor becomes more mellow and sweeter.
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