Front Yard Harvest

I have a thing for odd fruits and and vegetables. There's something about the intriguing names of heirlooms and the nonconformist look of these old-fashioned varieties that is fascinating. Not only do I adore heirlooms, I also like rare and dare I say, weird veggies and fruits. I am drawn to them the way a moth gravitates towards a light on a dark night. 

In front of my house, on the slim strip of earth between the sidewalk and the street sit four quince trees. Odd? Indeed. 

The quince is not an easily eaten fruit. Although it is in the same family as the apple, it is not something that can be bitten into and enjoyed because it is hard and bitter.  Because of this, my family never used the quince. Once, we had a nice lady knock on our door and ask if she could pick some of the quince, my mom said, "go for it, take as many as you like." 

Last year, as my interest in cooking, local food and the Slow Food Movement grew, I decided I would use the quince. After all, how hard could it really be? I remembered seeing a few recipes in my Deborah Madison cookbook so I decided what the heck. 

I decided to poach the quince in water and sugar. This brought out their unique taste and turned them that rosy coral pink. Doing this also made the quince sweet enough to eat. I will admit I found the taste and texture a bit odd. But, I did make an apple and quince crisp that was quite delicious. I also made a tart of quinces, apples, and pears.  When combined with these other fruits the quince flavor was more subtle. 

 

From what I have found, quince seem to have a few main uses:

1. Quince Jelly 

2. Quince Butter (similar to apple butter)

3. An addition to applesauce

4. Chutney

5. An interesting addition to apple and/or pear desserts

6. Quince syrup

Right about now, early October, is when our quince ripen on the trees. When quince are ripe, they turn a golden yellow and have a very flowery perfumed scent.  I just picked them this afternoon and a think I have a few pounds of quince sitting in the kitchen. 

Now the question is what will I make with them this year?