Quince

[mat]

Hello: does anyone have a recipe for making marmalade from the fruit of Chaenomeles japonica? And how can you tell when the fruit are ready for picking? Thanks.

[Flummery]

Welcome to the grapevine mat.

I understand that the spanish for Quince is marmelo and it's thought to be the origin of the word Marmalade. (Unless you go for the Mary Queen of Scots yokking up with sea-sickness and her ladies saying 'Marie est malade' when all she could keep down was orange preserve).
They should be ripe about now - they are very fragrant when they're ripe. I have a recipe for Quince and Lemon marmalade - the lemons help it to set.

1 lb lemons
3 lb ripe quinces
2.5 pints water
3 lb sugar

Cut away the yellow zest of the lemons and cut it into fine shreds. Halve the lemons and squeeze the juice out and put these to one side.
Keep the pulp, pips and pith from the lemons.
Peel and core the quinces. Put the rind and cores with the pith etc of the lemons and tie them all in a bit of muslin.
Cut the quince pulp into small strips or dice, add half the leomn juice and keep the container covered to keep the fruit a good colour.
Put the shredded lemon rind and the bag of gubbins into the water and simmer for 20 minutes. Add the sliced or diced quince flesh and simmer until soft. Remove the muslin bag and add the sugar and the rest of the lemon juice Stir over a low heat till the sugar is dissolved then boil rapidly till the setting point is reached. Cool slightly then stir to distribute the fruit. Put into hot jars and seal.

You can use 1lb sweet oranges instead of the lemons but add an extra 4 tablespoons lemon juice to help set.

Recipes from 'Jams, Chutneys, Preserves, Vinegars and Oils' by Marguerite Patten.

[terrier]

Hi Mat, thanks for the question, I've made a note of Flummery's recipe, it sounds delicious.

Flummery, is yokking a Yorkshire word, I bet you didn't get it out of a history book.

[Flummery]

Dunno? I come from Lancashire but married a Yorkshire man. Wars of the roses here! Trouble is, I now can't remember the dialect words I brought with me and those I've absorbed. I thought yokking was a commonly used word (amongst those prone to thowing up, that is).

[mat]

Thanks, Flummery - and as far as you know, does that recipe work for japonica quinces as well as "real" quinces?

[Flummery]

I can't see why not. They are edible and have the bergamot type scent. They don't have so much flesh to core - bit like the difference between crab apples and big apples - so you might need more to get a similar quantity of flesh. If you try it, let us know.

[momol]

Hi Mat,

Like Flummery said you can use the quince recipe for chaenomeles japonica ( cido ). I have 5 bushes of them ( they are in their seconde year now ) and I made marmalade from Cido too ( I used the marmalade not just for bread but as sauce for pan fried chicken, meat balls, bake fish ...).
Pick them when it is yellow and still firm (harvest from september onward ). It does takes lots of work with peeling and removing seeds ( the flesh is not that much ). I made my marmalade by simply boiling them with some water ( enough to cover the fruit or a bit over it ) and some sugar( depending how sweet you like it ). Once the fruit is soften by boiling, use potatoes stamper to mash them up and add some small amount of vanilla and cinnamon and let it cook for another minute, pour it in bottles... ready to be eaten ( as sauce or for bread spread ) Bon a petite.

Momol

[mat]

That's great - thanks, both.

[shirley]

I had some quinces given to me and last weekend made some quince jelly. A bit time consuming but the result looks nice. I have been promised some medlars or dogs bottoms. Any ideas???? or is it medlar jelly

[Flummery]

Medlar Jelly seems to be the only recipe my book has. (Marguerite Patten)

2lb medlars,
half to 1pt water (smaller amount if really ripe)

Cut up but don't peel the medlars. Put into preserving pan with the water. Simmer till soft then strain through jelly bag.
Alow 1lb sugar to each pint of juice and stir over low heat till dissolved. If the fruit was very ripe then add 2 tablespoons lemon juice per pint but if fairly firm add 1 per pint. Boil till setting point, pot, seal, label.

It reckons you can flavour it with lemon or orange rind during cooking (which sugests it doesn't have a whole lot of its own flavour?)

As for dogs' bottoms (never heard them called this - lovely expression!) - I find a boot up the jacksie useful!

[shirley]

Thanks, jelly it shall be then.....apparently the end of the medlar resembles a dogs bottom

[annieb]

Hi Flummery, any idea where I might get a Marguerite Pattern, Jams, Chutneys, Preserves recipe book. Also her book on winemaking. I lent my old ones to someone but never got them back.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Hi Flummery, any idea where I might get a Marguerite Pattern, Jams, Chutneys, Preserves recipe book. Also her book on winemaking. I lent my old ones to someone but never got them back.

I'd do a search on Amazon.

[Flummery]

Hazel's right. Amazon should find it. I got mine from a remaindered book shop many years ago - £5 instead of £17.99 I think.

[Carl]

Keeping an eye on Ebay for a while - theres a few out of print books I've got from there, it'll come up eventually


Carl