October is quince season and, in many homes, a time for pans bubbling away on the hob. Whether your quinces come from a tree in the family garden or from the market, here’s how to make firm homemade quince paste – known in Spain as membrillo – that has a lovely colour and keeps well for months. We’ll take you through the quantities, how to tell when it’s ready and how to store it, with tried-and-tested tricks handed down through the generations.
How to choose quinces
- Ripe and yellow, with a good fragrance and no green patches. Quinces that are still green give a paler, sharper paste.
- Hard, with no rotten parts. The odd brown mark on the skin isn’t a problem: just cut that bit out.
- Before you start, rub off the fuzz with a dry cloth or a brush, then wash them well.
Ingredients for homemade quince paste
- 1.5 kg quinces (this gives about 1 kg of pulp).
- 800 g to 1 kg sugar per kilo of pulp.
- The juice of half a lemon (optional; it brightens the colour and flavour).
- A cinnamon stick (optional).
The traditional recipe uses the same weight of sugar as pulp. With 800 g it’s less sweet and still keeps well, as long as you cook it until it’s ready and let it dry. If you want to cut the sugar further, see the section further down.
How to make quince paste step by step
- Cut and cook. Cut the quinces into quarters and remove the cores and seeds. You can leave the skin on: it adds flavour and helps give the paste body. Cook the pieces in boiling water for 20 to 30 minutes, until tender when pierced with a fork.
- Drain and weigh. Drain them well (keep the cooking water, which you can use to make jelly) and weigh the pulp so you know how much sugar you need.
- Purée. Purée the pulp with a stick blender or pass it through a mouli until smooth. If you’ve left the skin on, the blender is the better option.
- Add the sugar and put the pan on the heat. In a wide, heavy-based pan, mix the pulp, sugar and lemon juice (and the cinnamon, if using). Keep the heat medium-low.
- Stir constantly. Using a long-handled wooden spoon, stir, scraping the bottom of the pan. The mixture bubbles furiously and spits, so wear an oven glove and keep children well away. It usually takes 30 to 50 minutes.
- Take the pan off the heat when the paste is ready (we explain how to tell just below), remove the cinnamon and pour the paste, still hot, into moulds or glass or earthenware containers.
How to tell when quince paste is ready
The paste is ready when:
- it darkens and turns from yellow to an orange or reddish colour;
- it’s so thick that, when you draw the spoon across the bottom of the pan, it leaves an open trail that is slow to close;
- it starts to come away from the sides of the pan.
If in doubt, put a little on a cold plate: if it’s firm once it has cooled and doesn’t run when you tilt the plate, it’s ready.
How to dry and store quince paste
- Leave the moulds uncovered until they have cooled completely.
- Leave them to dry for 2 to 4 days somewhere well ventilated, protected from insects with a fine cloth or a mesh cover. In the sun, as people used to do, a dry skin forms on the surface more quickly.
- Once the surface is dry to the touch, cover it with a disc of baking paper cut to size and seal with a lid or cling film.
- Store it in a cool, dry, dark place. Properly cooked and dried, quince paste keeps for several months.
Low-sugar quince paste
You can go down to about 500 g of sugar per kilo of pulp. It will be sharper and less firm, and it keeps for much less time: store it in the fridge in a sealed container and eat it within a few weeks. If you want it to last longer, freeze it in portions.
Common mistakes
- It’s turned out soft: it wasn’t cooked for long enough. Put it back in the pan and let it boil for a few more minutes, stirring all the time.
- It’s gone mouldy: it wasn’t dry enough when it was covered, or it was stored somewhere damp. Throw away everything in the affected mould.
- It’s crystallised (it has crystals in it): too much sugar or too high a heat at the end. Next time, add the lemon and finish cooking over a gentler heat.
- It’s stuck to the bottom: the pan was too thin or it wasn’t stirred enough. Don’t scrape up the burnt part and mix it into the paste.
How to serve it
The classic pairing is quince paste with cheese: fresh cheese, Manchego or any mature cheese. It’s also delicious on toast, with plain yoghurt or alongside roast meats. And since the kitchen already smells of autumn, it’s a good time to make chestnuts in the air fryer. If you’d like to get your home ready for the season, take a look at the Velia Select shop.