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Vanilla and Ginger Quince Butter This vanilla and ginger quince butter recipe is an easy introduction to quince. It is very lightly sweetened and slightly acidic. You can increase the amount of sugar if you would like, which will result in something closer to a jam. Read these tips before making the recipe: - Quince still seems to be an unknown fruit in most of the US. It grows really well in climates where apples thrive so chilly winters help. You can likely find it at the farmers although I can also find it at a couple of supermarkets in Seattle. I have friends who have friends with a tree and that is how I get a large amount every year. - Quinces have fuzz on their exterior as peaches do. Wash them before peeling. Remove any brown or dark spots while you are cutting them. - Quinces are hard to cut so be careful not to hurt yourself. Make sure to use a sharp knife. - There are different ways of cooking quinces. In the past, I have cooked them already peeled and quartered in a sweetened syrup and then pureed them. This time, I cook them quartered (without peeling) in lemon water and then end up sweetened them after cooked. You will arrive at similar products. However, when you cook them with the skin and cores intact, your poaching liquid will collect a lot of the natural-occurring pectin. - It’s very important to keep the quince submerged in the poaching water at all times that’s why we cover the surface with a piece of parchment. It’s also very important to cook the quince on a low heat. Aggressive boiling can disintegrate the fruit. Additionally, the longer quince is cooked the more intense the pink/blush color becomes. - Save your poaching liquid for making quince jelly, add it to other jams, make simple syrup, or make tea with it. Makes four 8-ounce (225 g) jars 1.5 kg quince, washed and cut into quarters 100 g lemon juice, divided 225 to 275 g granulated sugar 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and seeds removed 1 teaspoon ground ginger · Place the quince in a large stock pot and cover with cold water. Add half of the lemon juice. Cut a piece of parchment paper and place over the quince, touching the water. The parchment will keep the quince submerged. Place the pot on the stove over high heat. Once the water has a very light simmer, reduce heat to low and continue cooking until the quince is tender and it has turned light pink/blush color. Adjust your heat to maintain that light simmer. This can take anywhere between 1 1/2 to 3 hours, depending on how ripe your quince is. · Remove quince from liquid (see headnote about reserving poaching liquid). Peel and cut off the touch core and seeds. Add all the poached quince into a food processor and puree until creamy. · Return quince puree to pot and add remaining lemon juice, sugar, vanilla seeds, and ginger. Stir everything together. Heat over high heat until it begins to lightly bubble. Reduce heat to medium high and continue cooking for 10 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and it has lightly thickened into a creamy mixture. · Pour into 4 sterilized mason jars and seal with lids. Let them cool completely at room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 months. Quince Vinaigrette 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons quince vinegar or apple cider vinegar 1 tablespoon Vanilla and Ginger Quince Butter 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot (optional) 1 teaspoon whole grain mustard (I use one that has a bit of piment d’Espelette in it) 1/2 teaspoon flaky salt
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