The Quince Answer (sort of)

For me, the jury is still out on quince. It definitely has a unique flavor, and I think I like it. But thanks to what seems to be an incorrect recipe and my own inattention, it was a little hard to tell.

Instead of getting a juicy roasted fruit from this recipe, what came out of the oven was more like quince mush. The recipe says to cook it for 5 to 7 hours. I checked the fruit at 2 hours, and it was definitely still hard. I checked again at 4 1/2 hours, and it was completely overcooked.

Despite the texture problem, though, the taste seems really lovely. I can see why it's so popular as a jelly or with roasted meat. TS describes it as a cross between a pear and a cranberry. That's not exactly right, but I can't think of anything closer.

So here are my notes on quince so far:

-Pay attention to the warnings about its raw texture. It is extremely hard, and I almost had a nasty slip with the knife.

-Also follow the directions to cut out all but the actual flesh. Every bit of core and skin that stayed on turned hard and knobbly.

-Raw quince is said to be bitter and astringent. Naturally, I had to try it. It didn't taste like much of anything, but this particular fruit had been sitting on my counter for a while, so that may be why.

-The cut fruit had a beautiful scent.

-The color change as it cooked was pretty cool. Mine turned into a jewel-toned rose, if that makes any sense.

Overall, definitely worth another go. I think I might try it in something savory next time. And I saw several recipes that suggested mixing quince syrup with prosecco...I think that would also be delicious.