Best Quinces Poached In Syrup Recipes

POACHED QUINCE WITH CRANBERRIES

Steps:

• Combine water, agave nectar, white sugar, and orange juice in a saucepan over medium-high heat and bring to a boil.
• Meanwhile, wash and peel the quince fruits and cut out any dark spots. Add whole quinces to the boiling liquid and reduce heat. Simmer for 10 minutes. Turn quince over 180 degrees and simmer an additional 10 minutes. Add cranberries and simmer until quince are tender to a knife, 10 minutes.
• Serve quince cored or whole with the cranberries and syrup ladled over them. Top with orange zest.

QUINCES POACHED IN SYRUP

Steps:

• Wash the quinces and scrub to remove the light down that covers their skin in patches. Cut them in half through the core, but do not peel them. The fruit is extremely hard, so you will need a strong knife and a lot of strength. You do not need to core them, and the pips are important, as they produce a wonderful red jelly. Cook the quinces as soon as they are cut, as the flesh discolors quickly.
• Have ready a pan of boiling water-about 3-4 cups-with the lemon juice and sugar. Put in the fruit, cut side down, and simmer until the fruit is tender and the syrup turns into a reddish jelly. The time varies greatly, from 20 to 60 minutes, for the fruit to be tender, and the syrup can take more than an hour to turn into a reddish jelly. You have to watch the fruit so that it does not fall apart. If it becomes tender too quickly, lift out, reduce the syrup by simmering, then return the fruit to the pan and cook until the syrup becomes reddish and thick. The thickened syrup has a hardening effect and prevents the fruit from falling apart.
• Arrange the quince halves, cut side up, on a serving dish, and pour the syrup on top. It will turn into a jelly when it cools. Serve chilled or at room temperature with dollops of kaymak, clotted cream, mascarpone, or whipped heavy cream.
• This roast caramelized quince is wonderful and easy. Bake the quinces whole, in a 375°F oven, for about 1 1/2-2 hours (the time varies depending on their size and ripeness), or until they feel soft. Cut them in half through the core and put them, cut side up, in a shallow baking dish. Put a sliver of butter and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of sugar on top of each half. Put under the broiler for a few minutes, until the sugar has turned a dark brown and filled the kitchen with a sweet smell.

QUINCE PRESERVES IN SYRUP

Steps:

• Have a large bowl of acidulated cold water ready (add about 1 tablespoon lemon juice to a half gallon of water). Peel and core the quinces. Slice the fruit into pieces not more than 1/4 inch thick. The shape of the slices is up to you: julienned, half crescents, small chunks. Any shape will work so long as no part of it is thicker than a quarter of an inch. As you work, drop the prepared slices of quince fruit into the bowl of acidulated water. About the color: Raw quince flesh is pale, like an apple or pear. If exposed to air it will oxidize to an unfortunate brown color. The soak in acidulated water minimizes that. The beautiful deep rosy color that is such an important part of quince recipes develops during cooking.
• Once all of the fruit is prepped, drain it in a colander and then transfer it to a large, non-reactive pot : no aluminum, copper, or non-enameled cast iron, which could cause discoloration of the final product. Stainless steel, heat-proof glass, or enameled pots are fine. Add 2 cups sugar, remaining tablespoon of lemon juice, and the water. Note that although I much prefer fresh lemon juice for most recipes, for canning recipes it is better to use bottled lemon juice. The reason is that commercially bottled lemon juice has a more consistent acidity level than freshly squeezed, and the acidity is important for safely preserving the fruit.
• Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the sugar. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the quince pieces are soft and blush colored and the liquid has reduced by at least half. This will take about 1 hour.
• Use a slotted spoon to transfer the cooked quince to clean 1/2 pint or pint canning jars. It is not necessary to sterilize the jars for this recipe. Pack the fruit in, leaving 1 inch of head space.
• Ladle the cooking liquid over the fruit pieces in the jars. The fruit should be completely immersed in the syrup, but there should still be 1/2 inch of head space between the food and the rims of the jars. Gently press down on the fruit with the back of a spoon to remove any air bubbles.
• Wipe the rims of the jars clean and screw on the canning lids. Process in a boiling water bath for 15 minutes. Adjust the canning time if you live at a high altitude .