Quince
Your ring?” Said the Piggy, “I will.”
So they took it away, and were married next day
By the Turkey who lives on the hill.
They dined on mince and slices of quince,
Which they ate with a runcible spoon.”
The Owl and the Pussycat, Edward Lear, 1871
The quince tree is not much grown in Malta, but it does well. Its lack of popularity is probably because, though it requires the same degree of care and watering as stone fruit like peaches or citrus fruit like oranges, it is not considered useful. The fruit cannot be eaten raw, as it is too tart and hard, but makes an exquisite jam, jelly or compote and is widely used in the cuisine of the Middle East and North Africa, where it is widely cultivated in orchards and private gardens. The quince tree flourishes in temperate climates like that of Malta, and even if the fruit is not used in cooking, it is highly decorative.
The round or pear-shaped yellowish-green fruit closely resemble small and unripe green apples. The flesh is aromatic, rich in tannin and pectin. When used in cooking, it lends a particularly delicate fragrance. In European cuisine, it is used mainly in confectionery, especially quince jam: the word ‘marmalade’ is derived from the Portuguese marmelo, which means quince. It is the essential ingredient in several liqueurs.
The quince tree is a native of the Caucasus and Iran, which accounts for its quick progress into the Mediterranean region. In ancient history, it was known as the ‘pear of Cydonia’. It was much used by the Greeks of old, who ate it hollowed out, filled with honey, and cooked in a pastry case. The Romans extracted an essential oil from the fruit and used it in perfumery. The quince has been used by the French for many centuries, in perfumery and medicine, as well as in cooking. In the 14th century Menager de Paris, there is a recipe for quince paste, and an equally ancient recipe is known from Spain, where the quince is known as dulce de membrillo.
In Malta, quince ripens mid- to late August, when the accompanying photograph was taken. You may source the tree at leading garden nurseries or orchard suppliers, by special order.
If you have access to quince, peel the fruit as you would apples, then chop it up and add it to Middle Eastern stews, casseroles or couscous dishes, which it imbues with a special aroma.
- The quince belongs to the rose family of plants and the most common variety is Cydonia oblonga, the common quince. It is often used as a rootstock for dwarf fruit trees, especially the pear. It is self-fertile and so only one is required for fruiting.
- Marmalade was probably first made from quince. The word ‘marmalade’ is derived from the Portuguese word for quince.
- In very hot countries, quinces ripen and soften until they can be eaten without cooking. They are widely grown in the Middle East in the same way that apples are in cooler climates like Britain. This is why the quince figured so prominently in classical legends and myths.
- The quince was much grown in ancient Palestine. The tappuach of the Old Testament, which is inevitably translated as ‘apple’ was more probably a quince, meaning that it was a quince that led to the fall from grace of Adam and Eve.
- Pliny wrote at length about the medicinal virtues of the quince. He also claimed that it warded off the evil eye.
- The quince is widely represented in ancient Greek and Roman mosaics, though it is often mistaken by observers as an apple. Quinces are most often depicted in the paws of a bear (in the wall-paintings and mosaics of Pompeii) and in the hand of Venus, to whom it was dedicated. It was the gift she received from Paris. The quince was regarded as the symbol of love and happiness, and Plutarch mentions the Roman marriage custom of a quince being shared by the new bride and groom. Quinces were used as love tokens.
- The ‘golden apples’ of Virgil were also probably quinces, the only known ‘golden’ fruit of the time. Oranges did not reach the Italian peninsula until the time of the Crusades around a thousand years later.
- “…the eating of a quince peare to be a preparative of sweet and delightful dayes between the married persons.” – The Praise of Musicke, a book from the Middle Ages.
- In Middle English literature, the quince is called a ‘coyne’, a name adapted from the French coin. This was pronounced ‘quin’ and the plural became ‘quins’, which was then corrupted into the singular ‘quince’ and what is really a double plural, ‘quinces’.
Quince compôte
Peel the quinces, cut them into quarters, and remove the seeds. Cut each quarter into two pieces and blanch them. Cool them under cold running water and pat them dry. Simmer them until they are tender in a vanilla-flavoured syrup made with 350g of granulated sugar to 600ml water. When very soft – but not disintegrated, of course – place the pieces in a shallow dish and pour the syrup over them. Serve warm or at room temperature as a dessert or late afternoon accompaniment to coffee.
Baked quinces
Generously butter an ovenproof dish. Peel four very ripe quinces and hollow them out carefully with an apple corer. Mix 100ml of thick cream with 65g of caster sugar and fill the quinces with this mixture. Sprinkle the fruit with 125g caster sugar and bake in a preheated oven at 220C (gas mark 7) for half an hour, basting several times.
Ratafia (quince liqueur)
For this, you will need a fairly large number of quinces. Leave them unpeeled, and cut them into quarters, removing the seeds. Shred the pieces of fruit, using the rough side of a grater. Place the shredded fruit in a bowl, cover, and leave to stand in a cool place for three days. Now squeeze it through a piece of fine muslin (the kind of cloth used for old-fashioned nappy-liners) and collect the juice. If you have no muslin, use a very fine sieve. Add an equal volume of vodka or another white spirit. Of each litre of this mixture, add 300g of caster sugar, one clove and a small piece of cinnamon stick. Infuse the liquid mixture in a sealed jar for two months, then strain once more through muslin or a fine sieve and bottle it.
Chicken tajine with quince
Joint and cut a chicken into eight pieces. Peel and chop three onions. Brown the chicken in a casserole dish using olive oil. Add the onions, stir and season. Add a pinch each of paprika and ground ginger, some chopped fresh parsley and coriander and 175ml of chicken stock. Cook gently for half an hour with the lid half off. Meanwhile, peel two large quinces or four small ones and cut them into chunks, removing the seeds. Fry them in olive oil or butter over a high heat until they are golden. Add to the casserole dish. Don’t use the lid to cover it, but a piece of greaseproof paper or aluminium foil which has been perforated. Cook it in a preheated oven at 220C (gas mark 7) for 30 minutes. Serve it straight out of the oven and very hot.