Quince Jam

Quinces are often put in the too-hard pile for the home preserver, with all that peeling and coring and chopping. But our recipe for rosy-pink quince and apple jam takes all the hard labour out, and reaps the rewards of delicious homemade quince paste. Sweet yet tart, it is equally at home on your morning toast or waffles as it is on a cheese board along side cured meats and crackers.

Ingredients:

  • 1 kg quinces peeled, cored and cubed
  • 500 g red apples cored and cubed
  • 2 lemons zested and juiced
  • 1kg castor sugar

Spices:

  • 3 cloves OR
  • 1 cinnamon stick OR
  • 3 allspice berries

Method:

Wash quinces and apples well and chop in half, or quarters if large, and place in medium sized pot. Add water until the fruit is just covered. Put onto low heat and gently cook until fruit is very soft. Peel, core and cube quinces. Wash apples and cut into small chunks. Put all fruit into a medium sized pot with the water and cloves. Put onto low heat and gently cook until fruit is very soft.

Once the fruit is soft, strain off the water and push the fruit through a fine sieve or fine setting of a mouli into a jug or bowl. Return pulp to a medium sized pot, add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Add the lemon juice and spices, stir to combine, and place on a high heat to bring to the boil. Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and cook until setting point is reached, stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Add sugar and dissolve by stirring. Add lemon juice and zest and stir to combine.

Increase heat and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly until setting point is reached,  stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

Test for setting point by putting a tablespoon of jam on the centre of a cold plate. Run your finger through the centre of the jam, if the jam stays parted it is ready.

While jam is cooking give jars a good hot soapy wash and rinse well. Put jars in the oven at 110 degrees for 15 minutes.

When jam is ready, carefully take hot jars out of the oven using sterilised tongs and place on the bench. Let cool for a minute and then carefully spoon jam into jars, wipe rim with clean paper towel and seal immediately.

Leave jars to cool. Check lid for the correct seal and then store in a cool dark place for up to 12 months, or heat process to extend the shelf life to 2+ years.

 

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