Real Food Encyclopedia | Quince
Quinces (Cydonia oblonga) are not a hugely popular fruit in the U.S., though the trees were once common on farms and in colonial home gardens. Sadly, they have long since fallen out of favor, with the category of pome fruits now firmly dominated by their cousins, apples and pears. If you need quinces, you may have to hunt for them — but the hunt is certainly worth it for their sweet, complex fragrance. Oh, and they taste pretty good, too.
Quinces grow on small, often-gnarled trees with attractive white, pink or red blossoms. While the fruit of some varieties grown in Iran and other warm areas can be eaten right off the tree, the quinces we get in the U.S. cannot be eaten raw — they are much too astringent and sour. Instead, they must be baked, poached or simmered, usually with copious amounts of sugar, honey or other sweeteners.
Fun facts about quinces:
- Like apples and pears, quinces are thought to be native to the Caucasus and Western and Central Asia. Wild trees can still be found in Azerbaijan, Iran, southwestern Russia and Turkmenistan.
- Although we now think of marmalade implying citrus fruit, the word originally referred to quince preserves. The Portuguese word for the fruit is marmelo, which comes from the Ancient Greek melimelon, or “honey-apple.”
- Prior to the 1890s, when commercial gelatin was first introduced, the fruit was primarily used as a natural source of pectin, a thickening agent for jams, jellies and other confections.
What to look for when buying quinces
Quinces resemble a bumpy, rounded pear, and can range quite a bit in size — sometimes topping out around two pounds.
Quinces should be firm when squeezed and super fragrant. They are frequently covered with downy white fuzz that must be rubbed off before cooking. The skin is thin and easily bruised and blemished, so it is normal (and totally fine) to see nicks and scratches. But steer clear of large dark-brown or black mushy spots or fruits that feel spongy when gently squeezed.
The skin of an underripe quince tends to be a greenish-yellow, turning golden yellow when ripe. Note that many recipes call for barely ripe quince (more green than yellow) rather than fully ripe (more yellow than green).
Sustainability of quinces
Pesticides
Because they are grown in such limited quantities, quinces’ environmental impact in the U.S. is fairly light. However, part of the reason they have fallen out of favor is that they are highly susceptible to a devastating bacterial infection called fire blight, which can destroy orchards. Controlling the disease sometimes involves spraying antibiotics like streptomycin, once allowable even for organic fruit (as the blossoms, not the fruit, are sprayed). As of 2014, organic farmers are no longer allowed to spray antibiotics on organic-designated fruit trees.
Geography
World leaders in quince production include Turkey, China, Uzbekistan and Iran.
According to 2009 USDA data, only about 250 acres of trees were grown commercially in the U.S., mostly in California. The primary commercial importance here is not for fruit, but as a source of dwarfing rootstock for pears: Pear plants are grafted onto quince rootstock to produce a tree that is smaller in stature, and thus more easily harvested and maintained.
Seasonality
Quinces begin to make their appearance in the market around late September, ending in early November.
Eating quinces
Storing
Quinces can be kept on the countertop for up to a week, or in the fridge in a paper bag for several weeks.
If you’ve peeled and sliced a quince but don’t plan on cooking it right away, be sure to drop the fruit in acidulated water (e.g. with a bit of lemon juice added) as it will begin to oxidize almost immediately after cutting.
Cooking
The raw flesh of a quince is creamy white, with a core inside just like an apple or pear. Cooking changes the color: Heat causes the formation of natural pigments called anthocyanins, which will turn the fruit anywhere from light pink to deep, dusky red.
Quinces make wonderful additions to desserts with other pome fruits such as apple and quince pie. Like apples and pears, they pair well with warm spices like cinnamon and cloves and with rich-tasting sweeteners like honey. Poaching, whether in honey or with spices, is a classic preparation.
In many cuisines of the Middle East and North Africa, quinces turn up in savory dishes as much as in sweet — often paired with meat for a sour-sweet note, as in this tagine with lamb and okra or in khoresh-e beh, Persian quince stew with lamb or beef. For Thanksgiving, why not make your centerpiece a memorable roast turkey with quince glaze? Another savory-sweet preparation is mostarda, an Italian condiment made with fruit and mustard.
Preserving
Quinces are famously the star ingredient in the Spanish confection membrillo (or dulce de membrillo), but plenty of other countries have a long tradition of making quince-based sweets and preserves that will last for months. There’s the French pâte de coing, Italian cotognata or marmelada in Portugal. They all likely derive from a similar confection common in ancient Persia. These are usually spread on bread or crackers, often paired with strong, salty cheeses, like Manchego.
Pickled quince pairs similarly well with cheese, on boards or sandwiches. Quince jam or jelly is simple to make, no pectin needed.
Nutrition
Quinces are a moderate source of Vitamin C, but not much else. Quince seeds and fruit are used in many systems of herbal medicine to treat digestive problems and cough.
Top photo by Vladyslav Siaber/Adobe Stock.