Last of the season, quince, Oil on canvas, 100 x 75cm

After the leaves of autumn had fallen, I was focused on capturing the winter lichen in an Adelaide Hills orchard, and there it was, the last gift of the season.

Here’s part two of my quince jelly and quince paste recipe.

Quince Paste

Cut reserved cooked quinces, from the jelly recipe, into quarters and trim off core sections. Be sure to discard the granular area around the core. If you wish the skin will easily peel off at this stage, but often I don’t bother as it will be blended.

Weigh fruit, or just measure 1 cup fruit to scant ½ cup sugar.

Puree thoroughly with a stick blender.

Return to large saucepan and mix in sugar stirring constantly until dissolved. If necessary add a very little liquid (1/4 cup) of your choice, could be brandy, red wine or boiled water. Bring to a simmer. Make sure to use a long handled spoon to stir!

Simmer slowly for about 10-15 minutes, stirring constantly until sugar is completely dissolved and puree is very thick. You should not hear the scratch of sugar on the bottom of the pan and you should be able to see the trail of your spoon on the base of the pan. Mix should ‘plop’ thickly.

Line a large roasting pan with wax paper and pour in the mix, level with a spatula to about 2-3 cm thick.

Let dry for 2-3 days, you can set it in the sun and turn it over so both sides dry. Wrap in wax paper and put in airtight container in a cool dark place. Do not refrigerate as this may cause crystalization. This will last for at least 2-3 years. The flavour gets even better as it matures, if you can wait that long!

Other options

Just serve the fruit from the jelly recipe with icecream.

Make a rustic tart with the sliced fruit.

Blend and dehydrate to make quince leather.