A potent symbol of love and fertility in ancient Greece and Rome, the quince - it is believed - was cultivated before even the apple.
The Emperor Charlemagne decreed that quinces, highly prized for their striking appearance, fragrant perfume and delicate flavour, were to be planted in all well-stocked orchards in the land.
A staple in orchards and gardens throughout central and southern Europe, quinces were also well-regarded for their high pectin content which made them perfect for use in preserves, marmalade, jelly and the forerunner of what we call jam.
Though not grown as a commercial crop in New Zealand, quinces are enjoying a resurgence in popularity fuelled, in part, by rekindled interest among food writers, restaurants and gardeners alike.
Although it is uncommon to find quinces in supermarkets, they are a common sight especially in older gardens where the owners are sometimes generous enough to part with some of their fruit.
The trees themselves are easy to grow and are indeed quite prolific, growing up to 8m high if untamed. We planted several trees when we established our cherry orchard four years ago and they are already producing about 50kg of fruit per tree.
Quince trees are frost-hardy and need a period of -7degC temperatures to flower properly.
Initially, the fruit are bright green and covered with a fine fluff. As the fruit ripen they will turn yellow and finally a rich, gold hue when they are ready to be picked around mid-March. Despite their hard skins they do bruise easily but store well for several months if undamaged.
The raw flesh of a quince can be quite off-putting to some newcomers as it is grainy, sour and very hard. In fact, you have to be quite careful when cutting them in half as the fruit is so firm. Always use a heavy knife and watch your fingers.
The key to unlocking the quinces' secret is long, slow cooking with sugar and water. (Overnight is perfect.) The reward is not only a pot full of deep red, tender fruit but also a kitchen filled with their sweet perfume for hours to come.
Here are some of Riverstone Kitchen's favourite recipes that showcase this amazing ingredient.
Quince paste is magic with cheese and every year we are inundated with people looking for some to take home. It tastes fantastic and lasts, literally, for years.
Vanilla rice pudding and honey-poached quinces is comfort food at its best, and a classic quince and almond tart with pure cream is hard to beat. Roll on autumn.
Makes 5 x 200ml jars -
2kg ripe quinces
water (to cover)
sugar (equal to and dependent on weight of the finished quince purée)
Peel quinces with a potato peeler and carefully halve with a heavy knife.
Place quince halves and peelings in an oven-proof dish and cover with water. Seal with aluminium foil and place into a 120degC oven for six to eight hours or overnight, until very tender.
Strain off liquid into a large heavy-based pot and reduce on medium to high heat.
While the quince liquor is reducing, discard the skins and remove the core and seeds from the quinces with a paring knife.
Weigh the quince flesh and puree until smooth.
When the liquor has almost completely reduced, add the same weight of sugar (as the amount of quince flesh) to the pot and heat until dissolved.
Add the quince pulp and start to stir with a long-handled wooden spoon. Do not walk away as the paste can easily catch and burn, especially as it gets thicker.
Stir constantly on a moderate heat until the pulp has changed colour from a soft pink to a rich, dark mahogany brown. Continue to stir until the paste becomes quite thick, for about 20 to 30 minutes.
Bottle in sterilised jars and enjoy.
• Poached quinces with vanilla creamed rice
Serves 8 -
Poached quinces
2kg quinces
water to cover
500g sugar
2 cinnamon sticks
3 pieces star anise
Carefully cut quinces in half with a heavy knife. Place in an oven-proof dish, cover the fruit with water and add the spices and sugar.
Cover with tinfoil and place into a 120degC oven for six to eight hours or overnight, until very tender.
Remove fruit from liquor with a slotted spoon and allow to cool before handling. The skin should peel away easily. Remove the core and cut each half into two or three pieces.
In the meantime, strain the cooking liquor into a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Reduce the liquid by half or until it has thickened to a bright, rose-coloured syrup.
Vanilla creamed rice
50g unsalted butter
100g caster sugar
130g short-grain rice
1 vanilla bean, split lengthways and seeds scraped
500ml milk
500ml cream
pinch of salt
Gently melt butter in a heavy-based saucepan over low heat. Add the sugar and rice and stir for three to four minutes. Add remaining ingredients and bring to the boil.
Pour the mixture into a baking dish, cover with tinfoil and place in a large roasting tin. Pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dish.
Bake in a 160degC oven for 60 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes until the rice is soft. Remove dish from the oven and stir occasionally while cooling to allow the rice to absorb the liquid.
Serve creamed rice at room temperature between eight bowls and place poached quinces on the side.
Drizzle with a little quince syrup to finish.
• Quince and almond tart
Sweet shortcrust pastry
350g unsalted butter, room temperature
150g icing sugar
4 egg yolks
500g plain flour
2 tablespoon cold water
Cream the butter and sugar together. Add yolks, one at a time, mixing well. Mix in flour and just enough water to bring the pastry together.
Knead lightly, roll into ball, wrap in cling wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes or overnight. Unwrap pastry and slice thinly and press pastry into a 28cm fluted pie tin with removable base. Ensure pastry is evenly and thinly spread (i.e. 2mm thick.)
Remove excess pastry from around the edges. Refrigerate for 30 minutes then blind bake in a 180degC oven for 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Remove from oven and cool.
Filling
2 x 200g jars quince paste
4 poached quinces, sliced (see poached quince recipe)
half cup butter
1½ cups sugar
3 free-range eggs
quarter cup all-purpose flour
1½ cups ground almonds
quarter teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
half cup cream
half cup sliced almonds
Cream butter and sugar together well. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition.
Fold cinnamon, cream and half the ground almonds into the creamed mixture before repeating with remaining ground almonds, vanilla essence and sliced poached quinces.
Spoon the mixture into pastry case as evenly as possible and top with sliced almonds. Cook in a 150degC oven until golden brown and set in the middle.
Allow to cool for 45 minutes before removing from pie tin. Slice and serve with freshly-whipped cream.
• Bevan and Monique Smith own the award-winning Riverstone Kitchen café just south of the Waitaki Bridge on State Highway 1.
