Quince Jelly/Paste – “Kydonopasto”

The quince is the sole member of the genus Cydonia in the family Rosaceae.

It has a lot of health benefits and it is used extensively in cooking by different cultures specially around the Mediterranean.

I remember as a child the delicate beautiful smell of preparing the Quince Jelly in our kitchen every Autumn. A laborious process then, but worthwhile. We used to eat it as a jelly and towards the end of Autumn, when we had enough, we would dry it in the sun to a rubbery gum called “kiofteri” which was one of our Winter little treats.

Nowadays it is quite easy to prepare with the help of the Thermomix which is an indispensable appliance in our household. The result, as our friends can testify, is magnificent in taste, smell and colour, a rich Terra Cotta red. As we always do with all Thermomix recipes, we modified this one to complete the traditional taste. We added cinnamon and citrus blossom water at the bottom of the dish and the brandy on top which complements and gives extra depth to the quince’s flavour.

You will need

• 800 gr quinces, washed very well to rid all fuzz but not peeled
• 700 gr sugar
• 30 gr freshly squeezed lemon
• 30 gr of citrus blossom water
• a pinch of cinnamon
• a shot of brandy

Method

• cut the washed quinces in quarters and core the hard part (seed pocket) and cut again in smaller pieces
• put the quinces, the sugar, the blossom water and the lemon in the Thermomix
• set it to 100°c for 40 minutes, speed number 4
• at 30 minutes open it and stir it making sure that you scrap the sides as well
• put a little citrus blossom water in your dish (2” deep) and swirl it around to get the bottom wet
• sprinkle some ground cinnamon as evenly as possible
• pour the jelly when Thermomix time is up while still hot
• shake the dish to make it even and sprinkle the brandy on top

Notes

• When it starts boiling remove the measuring cup from the cover of the Thermomix and put the metal basket instead. This will avoid spilling.
• The consistency depends on how juicy the fruit is. If it doesn’t harden enough by the next day, you can put it in the sun for one or two days.
• You cut it up to squares and serve it. It keeps for a while in a dry place or in the fridge.