Membrillo (Quince Paste)

Page: www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/2667653/quince-and-rosewater-jelly-and-quince-paste

| Course Type: Jams/Preserves

(1 review)

Tags: quinces forgotten fruits and vegetables preserve membrillo fruit cheese

Recipe Review

Very nice! As with the Quince and Rosewater Jelly, I used 2:1 preserving sugar, meaning I used 1 part sugar and 2.2 parts quince pulp. I cooked it for the whole 45 min on low heat, stirring constantly, but yet it ended up being burnt at the bottom of the pan - luckily not something you notice in the membrillo (be careful not to scrape the bottom).

I thought the instructions on how long you really need to cook the membrillo (what I like to call 'the Moses test' - it even looked like a red sea!) were still relatively vague. My membrillo ended up being relatively soft, compared to that of my MIL, but apparently mine is more like the membrillo you can buy at shops (not that I would know). Also, my MIL used more sugar, which made her membrillo sweeter (obviously), but I think that also influences how hard the membrillo will get (or how long it takes to get there).

Last, be careful: hot membrillo is hostile and will hiss and spit at you, I have several blisters to attest to that.

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Comments

kateq - 6th November 2013
I envy you your access to quince. It hardly ever appears at farm markets or in shops here (tho I bet I could find it with no trouble in New York). On the rare occasions I do find it, I make membrillo--I have found that cooking it super slowly/on super low heat works best because it does burn so easily. It's so delicious with manchego and in pastries....

friederike - 8th November 2013
I am really happy with the quinces, only until fairly recently I had no idea what else to use them for but quince jelly! I think cooking it super slowly on super low heat is probably the best idea. How long does that take for you? And how hard does your membrillo end up being? I'm trying to find something to compare it to - mine is perhaps most like a softish firm cheese (like very young Gouda), whereas my MIL's is more like a Manchego.

kateq - 8th November 2013
I used this recipe -- http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/membrillo_quince_paste/ -- followed it loosely, finding that my quince took longer to soften and longer to turn that lovely color. When it was done, it was fairly solid, but easily spreadable and so good. I didn't make any this summer as I never came across any quince this year.

friederike - 8th November 2013
Do you get quinces in summer? Around here, they are only available in winter.
Interesting that that recipe estimates 1-1.5 hours - so I could turn the heat still lower, and cook it longer. I think most jelly and other preserve recipes are best only followed loosely - you never know if your preserve will turn out exactly the way theirs will.

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