Quince fruit is inedible raw but it makes a great preserve, and jam, and of course, membrillo. My grandmother used to make quince jam. You probably assumed she was a great cook who inspired my cooking passion. In a way she did… because she hated cooking and was an atrocious cook, so someone in the family had to do better :). But jams she did right.
serves: 4 difficulty: easy prep time: 1.5 hrs
Ingredients
- 4 quince
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- zest of 1 lemon
- 3-4 star anise
Preparation
Wash and core the quince the way you would core apples.
Dice the quince in 1/4 inch cubes. Alternatively you can grate the quince. But I prefer the texture of the little cubes.
Wrap the star anise in gauze, and tie with a kitchen twine. Place the diced quince in a pot, cover with water, and add the lemon juice and the start anise. Bring to a boil, and cook for 15 min.
Then add the sugar and the lemon zest, and reduce the heat to medium-low and cook until the jam thickens.
Take off the heat, discard the pouch with the star anise. Add 1 tbs of salt – it cuts through the sweetness. Taste and add more salt if needed. Let cool, place in a jar, and store in the fridge.
You can use it at a side dish to lean and gamey meats. Here I served it with duck.
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