Today is Quince Day...at least it's the day that I was able to pick up the ten pounds of quince that I ordered from Happy Girl Kitchen.
There's something magical about quince and I'm sure it's only augmented by the fact that it's in-season time is so brief. But that scent is intoxicating and I waiver between wanting to cook it all immediately and just wanting to sit here with a fruit to my nose, breathing in the heady, floral aroma.
I decided to poach a batch first. When Barbara Ghazarian writes in Simply Quince, "the old-fashioned, long simmer method on the stove top is the only process that develops the characteristic caramel color and full-bodied flavor of the fruit," I'm going to trust her and not try to re-invent quincing. Yes, I'm making it a verb: to quince. But I added in a whole vanilla bean and used yuzu as my citrus.
7 C water
1 C organic granulated sugar
1 whole vanilla bean
2 T yuzu juice
8 C peeled, cored, sliced quince wedges
Combine water, sugar, yuzu juice in a heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Add the quince and vanilla bean. Simmer uncovered for 75 to 90 minutes until the quince is tender. The fruit will turn golden; the longer you poach it, the more pinkish it becomes. Spoon the fruit into sterlized jars, insert a cinnamon stick, cover with poaching liquid. As the quince cools, the jar will seal. Refrigerate and use within two weeks.
I cannot wait to serve these golden, poached quince - with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon - over a scoop of creamy gelato!
There's something magical about quince and I'm sure it's only augmented by the fact that it's in-season time is so brief. But that scent is intoxicating and I waiver between wanting to cook it all immediately and just wanting to sit here with a fruit to my nose, breathing in the heady, floral aroma.
I decided to poach a batch first. When Barbara Ghazarian writes in Simply Quince, "the old-fashioned, long simmer method on the stove top is the only process that develops the characteristic caramel color and full-bodied flavor of the fruit," I'm going to trust her and not try to re-invent quincing. Yes, I'm making it a verb: to quince. But I added in a whole vanilla bean and used yuzu as my citrus.
1 C organic granulated sugar
1 whole vanilla bean
2 T yuzu juice
8 C peeled, cored, sliced quince wedges
Combine water, sugar, yuzu juice in a heavy-bottomed pan and bring to a boil to dissolve the sugar. Add the quince and vanilla bean. Simmer uncovered for 75 to 90 minutes until the quince is tender. The fruit will turn golden; the longer you poach it, the more pinkish it becomes. Spoon the fruit into sterlized jars, insert a cinnamon stick, cover with poaching liquid. As the quince cools, the jar will seal. Refrigerate and use within two weeks.
I cannot wait to serve these golden, poached quince - with a hint of vanilla and cinnamon - over a scoop of creamy gelato!
Comments
Post a Comment