Recipe - Quince Information

1 Info below

Wittenberg wrote: "Here is some information on quince that I got from
Prodigy awhile back. It was posted by Deborah Madison the cookbook author
of THE SAVORY WAY and restaurant chef." Madison wrote: "Quinces are, for
me, the queen of fall fruits.

"Quinces are intensely fragrant, with a perfume like a mingling of pears
and apples. Your farmers' market may be your best bet for finding this
golden fruit. It lasts for a long time and once you have some quince
compote on hand you will be happy to discover its many uses.

"The quince is a marvelous, ancient fruit that is found in many parts of
the world, from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe, to South America, the
U.S., Mexico and onward. Closely related to apples and pears, the quince
looks something like a combination of the 2like a lumpy, pearshaped
apple with a golden skin, which is sometimes covered with a soft down."
"The best thing about the quince, though, is its perfume, which is rich and
heady, suggestive of narcissus as well as pears and apples. A single ripe
quince placed on a bureau can do wonders for a room as well.

"A properly matured quince will be a rich golden hue and very perfumed.
Unfortunately most commercial quinces are picked too green so they never
develop the color and perfume they should have. Look in farmers' markets
for the real thing. You can also find quince trees in people's yards, for
the fruit stays on in the fall, long after the leaves have dropped, making
them easy to spot.

"Most people don't know what to do with them and can be persuaded to part
with a few for the asking." "Unlike apples and pears, quince must be
cooked. Eat it raw, and your mouth will pucker. But cooked, it is quite
versatile and delicious. Since it is full of pectin, it lends itself very
well to the making of preserves, but can also be cooked with meat and fish
(as in Moroccan recipes) and is wonderful poached in a syrup spiced with
cinnamon and clove. Once poached, it turns a luscious shade of pink and can
be served by itself, with cream cheeses, in a compote, or with apples and
pears in pies, tarts and other dishes.

"Quinces are usually peeled before cooking. The flesh =============== Reply
95 of Note 1 ================= Board: FOOD BB Topic: FOOD SOFTWARE Subject:
RMM DESSERTS99+ To: ASXV66A JAMES KILGORE Date: 10/25 From: ASXV66A
JAMES KILGORE Time: 9:34 AM is dense, but breaks easily, so care must be
taken in handling them if retaining the shape is important.

"If fresh quinces are handled carefully and not bruised, they should last
for months. Poached in a heavy syrup, they will keep very well for a month
or 2 refrigerated." From THE SAVORY WAY by Deborah Madison. New York:
Bantam Books, 1990. From: howard_w@iat.holonet.net (Howard E. Wittenberg)
in rec.food.cooking. Formatted by Cathy Harned.
Posted to MCRecipe Digest by Nancy Berry nlberry@prodigy.net on May 15,
1998