Quince cheese

Quince is a member of the pear family and grows on trees of up to 8 metres high which fruit in the autumn. Their aroma is exquisite, however they are far too tart to eat raw and must be cooked.

In Spain dulce de carne membrillo (literally translated as sweet of quince meat) is typically eaten at Christmas with manchego, however it’s delicious with any full flavoured cheese. It’s a good idea to make it a couple of months prior to the festive season as this will allow the quince paste to harden into a cheese like consistency. We are lucky in the UK that quince trees are found in back gardens so if it’s a good year and there’s a bumper crop your neighbours will be more than willing to give you a few.

Makes about 500g

Ingredients
1 kg quince (5-6 quince)
500kg preserving sugar (depending on weight of quince pulp)
vegetable oil

Method

1. Wash the quince and chop roughly (no need to peel or core).
2. Place in a large pan with 0.75 litres of water. Bring to the boil and lower the heat to simmer until the quince have softened.
3. Push the softened fruit and pan juice through a sieve to remove the skin and core.
4. Now weigh the pulp and stir in the same weight of sugar into the fruit.
5. Place the mixture back into the pan and gently bubble until the sugar has dissolved. The mixture should have thickened into a runny paste.
6. Transfer the paste into a lightly greased baking dish/tray and cook over night (at least 10 hrs) or until the paste has started to solidify so that it can then be cut and handled.
7. When cool cut into squares and wrap each one in greaseproof paper. Store in a cool dry place or in the fridge. It will become firmer with time so that it can be sliced when served.