← Nouns Cooking · Dessert Parlour

Ingredients

• 4 large quinces (about 1.2 kg)
• 1 Lemon, peel pared into strips, juiced
• 1 l Water
• 250 g Sugar
• 1 Cinnamon stick
• 2 Star anise
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (optional)
• coconut yogurt, to serve (optional)

Method

1. Fill a bowl with cold water and add half the lemon juice. Rub the fuzz off the quinces, then peel, quarter and core them with a sharp knife, dropping each piece into the lemon water so it doesn't brown. Keep the peels and cores.
2. Put the measured water, sugar, lemon peel, remaining lemon juice, cinnamon and star anise in a wide pan and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves.
3. Add the drained quince, plus the peels and cores tied in a square of muslin if you like. Cover with a circle of baking paper pressed onto the surface so the fruit stays submerged.
4. Simmer very gently over low heat for about 1½ hours, until the quince is tender all the way through and has turned pink to deep amber. Older, harder fruit can take longer.
5. Lift out the fruit with a slotted spoon. Discard the muslin bag, then boil the syrup for 10 min, until reduced and slightly thickened. Stir in the vanilla.
6. Pour the syrup back over the quince and serve warm or cold with coconut yogurt.

Tips

• The longer and slower they cook, the redder they turn, so don't rush them.
• Keeps in its syrup in the fridge for a week; great on porridge too.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Great British Chefs Real Greek Recipes