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A square image showing a close up of deep pink quince paste cut into squares and sitting on a cheese board. It's surrounded by cheese, crackers, nuts and dried fruit, as well as berries.

Quince paste (dulce de membrillo)

Quince paste is the perfect accompaniment to any cheese platter, but is also delicious simply eaten as is.
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Course: Condiment
Cuisine: Preserved Food
Keyword: Cheese board, Condiment
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 3 hours
Setting time: 2 hours
Total Time: 5 hours 15 minutes
Servings: 16 squares
Calories: 151kcal

Equipment

  • Large heavy-based saucepan
  • 15x15cm (~6.5 inch) Square dish
  • Blender
  • Baking paper

Ingredients

  • 1.3 kg Quince (this was roughly 900g / 2 pounds) when peeled, cored, and chopped)
  • Honey (see note 1)
  • 2 Tbsp lemon juice (roughly one small lemon)

Instructions

  • Peel, core, and chop quince into 2.5cm / 1-inch chunks. Place the quince into a large heavy-based saucepan full of water as you chop.
  • Bring to the boil then reduce to a simmer. Leave to cook for about 30 minutes or until the quince are soft when pierced with a knife.
  • Strain off the water then transfer the cooked quince to a blender and blend very briefly until a smooth paste forms.
  • Measure out the amount of puree you have then pour it back into your pot. Now measure out 3/4 of that amount in honey. Add that to the pot too, along with the lemon juice. (see note 1)
  • Place the pot back over a low heat and leave the quince paste to reduce for 2 - 2.5 hours with the lid off. Stir frequently to ensure it doesn't burn. It will eventually become more difficult to stir, and a wooden spoon will stand straight up in it without falling. The colour will also be a gorgeous shade of dark pink/salmon. (see note 2)
  • Line a 15 x 15cm (~6.5 x 6.5 inch) square dish with baking paper, pour in the cooked quince puree, smooth it out and leave to set in the fridge for a couple of hours.
  • You can either store in an airtight container and cut pieces as you need them or cut into squares in advance then store in the container. It keeps best if you place a piece of baking paper between each square/slice, so they don't stick. It will store for many months.

Notes

Note 1: The amount of honey you need will depend on the amount of puree you have. You want 3/4 of the amount of quince puree in honey. So, for example. The recipe above yields 3 cups of quince puree. As such, I added 1 + 1/4 cups of honey. If the quince you have bought yield a little more or less puree, adjust the honey accordingly.
Note 2: Sufficiently reducing the quince paste is the key to ensuring it will set. Look for three main things. 1) the paste is harder to stir, 2) it is a very dark pink, 3) a wooden spoon can stand up in the mix completely unaided. If all three of those things are ticked off the quince paste is ready to be taken off the heat.

Nutrition

Serving: 20g | Calories: 151kcal | Carbohydrates: 41g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 5mg | Potassium: 178mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 33IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 1mg