Quince Jam/Jelly

QUINCE JAM/JELLY

This recipe is so simple, the time though is taken up in washing and cutting up the quinces. Don't throw out the liquid from the first boil. Use it to ake Quince Jelly (see below).

INGREDIENTS:
2kg pounds of quince peeled and seeded
1kg of sugar N.B. I used 1 kg Gelsuc [this is the trade name in France for special jam making sugar with pectin, I am sure other countries have this sugar under another name] I cut back the cooking time see below and used juice from ½ an orange, no water or lemon juice. See method in bold & italics)
4 tablespoons of water + 1 cup of water
1 tablespoon of lemon juice

PREPARATION:
Wash, peel and remove seeds and any dark patches from the quinces. Cut into small chunks and put into a bowl of water to stop it going dark. Drain and transfer to a pot with water just to the top of the quince. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Boil for 30 minutes, turn off heat, and leave the pot on the stove for 30 minutes.
Drain off liquid into another pot to make Quince Jelly see below.
I mashed the fruit with a potato masher, the consistency should be similar to chunky applesauce. Transfer to a large saucepan, (If using Gelsuc, add to the fruit and bring to the boil with the orange juice and simmer for 7 minutes.[ 2010 N.B. This year the name Gelsuc appears to be changed to simply Special Confitures au sucre and cooking time has changed to 5 minutes so I suggest you check the times on the packet] Bottle immediately.)
OR add sugar and 1 cup of water, and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon to prevent sticking and browning. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, stirring frequently, until the jam melds, excess liquid cooks off, and the jam drops from a spoon in chunks.
Add lemon juice, stir for 5 minutes, and remove from heat. Transfer to jars with airtight lids. The jam can be stored for up to a year and the color of the jam will darken over time to varying shades of red.

Note: If the jam starts sticking to the pan and browning, remove from heat immediately and pour into a bowl. Use a spoon to remove brown parts, transfer to a clean pot and continue to cook.

QUINCE JELLY (Easy)

Make this recipe with the liquid from Quince Jam. Because quinces have high pectin content, it will set to a jelly without any additives.

INGREDIENTS:
2 measures of liquid from the Quince Jam recipe by quantity (not weight)
1 measure of sugar by quantity (not weight) (I used ordinary sugar for this as the jelly sets so easily)
lemon juice

PREPARATION:
Strain the liquid into a large saucepan, stir in sugar and boil over high heat until it melds to a steady-drip syrup, about 30 minutes. Skim off any foam and pour into a jar with an airtight lid. 

N.B. I sometimes use the fruit to make a pudding (or I bottle it for a later occasion) instead of jam but still use the liquid for jelly.

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