When we traveled north to Portland a couple of years ago, we found a lovely small farm that had beautifully fragrant quince fruit. When we came home, we searched and found another small farm with perfect quince. We found a new friend that called us with a tree full of quince!
Golden quince are amazingly fragrant when ripe. So we let our fruits sit and ripen for a few weeks before we cooked them into membrillo. A long process, the fruits are cooked and then pureed. We added sugar and a little lemon juice and cooked this puree for an entire day to turn them into our fragrant spread.
Our Membrillo is a sweet spread with an orangish, pink hue. The long cooking time for the quince gives the paste it's beautiful color, texture and flavor. The large amount of pectin in these quince gave the paste a perfect set.
Traditionally, membrillo is served with a hard cheese, like Manchego. We put out a jar whenever we have a dinner party. Membrillo is a perfect appetizer and a jar makes a delightful hostess gift.
Jar size: 6 oz.
Ingredients: Quince, sugar, lemon juice.
