Quince Candies

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Quince Candies

Labels: { Desserts, Fruit, Nuts and Seeds }

A quince looks like a mixture of apple and pear - no wonder, because the three pom fruits are closely related. But unlike apples and pears, a ripe quince still has a hard texture. Their taste is aromatic, fruity and lemony - but only when cooked. The fruits are full of healthy nutrients. Besides plenty of potassium, quinces provide minerals and trace elements such as sodium, zinc, iron, copper, manganese and fluorine, which are responsible for cell metabolism and oxygen transport in the body, among other things.
The quince are not suitable for raw consumption. They are not poisonous, but mostly hard, woody and bitter. The flesh only develops its aromatic, tart flavour when cooked, when the acids and bitter substances disappear. Quince can be roasted, stewed, pureed, poached, baked, made into jelly, or grilled.
In Latin America, Spain and Portugal, quince candies are a popular snack, especially at Christmas. But it tastes good all year round with cheese, nuts or meat. Quince candies can be kept for up to 6 months if dry and packed in an airtight container. So it is important that the mixture is really well dried out. To prevent the quince candies from sticking together, separate the individual layers with parchment paper.
The prepartion of these tough fruits is time consuming, but the result is certainly worth the effort. For quick quince candies, you can also dry the mixture in a preheated oven (with the oven door ajar) at 60C/140F degrees with fan on for approx. 6-8 hours, depending on the consistency. I left mine on the kitchen counter for 6, almost 7 days to dry.
Not every variety of quince turns reddish when cooked. Some quinces remain pale yellow after cooking. For a reddish quince candy you can use the varieties Bereczki or Portugieser.

1,2 kg Quince, washed, quartered
500 ml Water
500 g Gelling sugar 2:1
2 tbsp Freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp Finely zested orange peel, optional
1/2 tbsp Finely grated ginger paste, optional
Coconut flakes or sugar for rolling

Line a baking tray (30 x 28 cm or 30 x 40 cm, depends on how thick you would like them) with baking paper. Rub off the fuzz of quinice with a piece of kitchen paper. Wash, quarter and core the quinces.
Put the quinces in a large saucepan and pour water over them until they are covered. Cook for about 45 minutes until soft. Drain the quinces through a sieve and process with a stick blender to a fine purée. The quince juice can be used to make jelly.
Put the quince purée (approx. 1 kg) into a large saucepan, add the lemon juice, orange zest and ginger paste, if using, and stir in the gelling sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and cook the quince paste for about 50-60 minutes until very thick – it’s ready when a spoon drawn through the quince paste leaves a trail.
Pour the thick paste onto the prepared baking tray and leave to cool. Cover it with a piece of parchment paper and leave the quince candy to dry at room temperature for 2-3 days. Turn it over and peel the parchment paper off. Cover with a clean piece of parchment paper and leave for another 2-3 days to dry.
Once the mixture has dried, cut the quince paste into squares or diamonds and coat them with coconut flakes, sugar or simply top each square with a toasted walnut. Serve on its own or with cheese as a snack or dessert.

49 comments:

Cooking Julia 8/10/22 23:55: Nice
Cooking Julia 8/10/22 23:55: I love quince, and your candies look so good!
Brian's Home Blog 9/10/22 01:19: I've never hat Quince before but they sure look great!
My name is Erika. 9/10/22 02:05: I've never had quince anything, and it was interesting to read about this fruit as I don't know much about them. I really want to try them now. Happy rest of your weekend. hugs-Erika
J.P. Alexander 9/10/22 02:19: Rico dulce, gracias por la receta. Te mando un beso.
Christine 9/10/22 02:54: Yummy!
Lola Martínez 9/10/22 09:37: En casa siempre hemos sido aficionados al dulce de membrillo, lo que más preparo es mermelada y compota, en cuanto los vea en el mercado maduros los estoy comprando. No lo he preparado nunca rebozado en coco, pero pienso probarlos porque el coco nos gusta.
Un beso.
roentare 9/10/22 10:22: You turned everything into a magical being. That quince looks like some Turkish delights I tried in the local market
Margaret D 9/10/22 11:18: Very yummy.
Anonymous 9/10/22 13:10: Hi Angie, I never thought of using quince as a sweet. Usually, I use it one a cheese board. Thanks for the new ideas. Bernadette, http://newclassicrecipe.com
kathyinozarks 9/10/22 14:12: Good morning, very pretty candy-I don't think I have ever eaten a quince or seen one
Tom 9/10/22 14:14: ...I have never had quince.
Jeff the Chef 9/10/22 17:19: What a labor of love! When I was a kid, we quinces growing in our back yard, and my brothers and I used to dare one another to bite into one.
thepaintedapron.com 9/10/22 17:41: Love your quotes today! I've never had quince!
Mor Düşler Kitaplığı 9/10/22 20:27: Hello! Looks delicious. Thanks for recipe :)
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Whats Cookin Italian Style Cuisine 9/10/22 21:06: this looks so delicious I would love some right now. Not sure about some of the ingredients what they are but I am going to look them up I love apple and pear!
Bill 9/10/22 21:52: I never had quince.
DEZMOND 9/10/22 22:58: It is made in my part of the country too, we call it kitnikez. A lot of countries do not have quinces at all, America for example due to some plant disease that ruined the all in the past.
Rainbow Evening 9/10/22 23:47: I never tasted it... sound yummy.
Thank you for sharing recipe.
foodtravelandwine 10/10/22 01:53: I love quince!!...I make membrillo, and quince in compote which is delicious!....and you can eat it raw as well!!...at school, when I was in 3rd grade, it was our favorite treat during breaks....you have to throw it into the ground (like a ball), and you can eat it....it is delicious raw with drops of lemon and a pinch of salt!........Abrazotes, Marcela
lisa is cooking 10/10/22 04:33: Your kitchen must have smelled so lovely as the quince cooked. These look delicious!
Rose world 10/10/22 07:27: Quince looked like pear. Never tasted one, don't think we get this imported fruits here.
Pattie @ Olla-Podrida 10/10/22 18:17: These look delicious and, as in all of your posts, are so beautifully presented. I'm saving this recipe in hopes that I may be able to make some for the holidays.
Hena Tayeb 10/10/22 18:40: Oh yum. We had some of these while we were in Greece.
Paolina 10/10/22 19:01: Penso alla fortuna di chi ha la possibilità di assaggiare queste squisitezza! Complimenti
Anonymous 10/10/22 20:06: This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous 10/10/22 20:08: We get a couple of quince fruits in our farm share in the late fall, so your timing is perfect! I usually make quince paste to go with Manchego cheese, but this year, I'll make candies instead!
speedy70 10/10/22 20:44: Adoro la cotognata, bravissima!!!
Muriel 10/10/22 23:14: Quelle gourmandise ! j'adore
2pots2cook 11/10/22 13:58: So lovely! Brings great grandmother's desserts back....
Rainbow Evening 11/10/22 15:14: have a wonderful day
Yvonne @ Fiction Books Reviews 11/10/22 17:53: I've never tasted quince before and preparing them does sound like quite a lot of faffing about. I wouldn't mind tasting them sometime however, so if they ever appear on a restaurant menu as an accompaniment to the cheese board selection, at least I shall know what to expect from them!
David 11/10/22 18:22: Angie, We've never had quince in any dish that we can recall. Also, we've never made candy at home. We may well make an exception as these candies look and sound great! Take Care, Big Daddy Dave
Pam 11/10/22 19:10: I've never seen quince in my grocery stores. I love apples & pears so I'm certain I would like it. The candy is a clever idea and looks tasty.
Glòria NoTotSonPostres 11/10/22 20:50: This is our “codonyat”.
I love it
Ksss
Glòria
Królowa Karo 11/10/22 23:17: I love such homemade sweets.
Lowcarb team member 11/10/22 23:27: I'm sure these will taste great :)

All the best Jan
Valentina 12/10/22 06:18: I've only had quince jams. It's a delicious cooked fruit and I had no idea how healthy they were. These candies sound like a perfect fix for my sweet tooth. :-) ~Valentina
Laura. M 12/10/22 13:34: Un rico dulce que me encanta. Gracias.
Buen miércoles.
Un abrazo.
Federica Simoni 12/10/22 17:15: Wow che golose!!
P-and-P 12/10/22 17:56: I like quince and these candies look delicious. :)
Rhodesia 12/10/22 21:47: I must try this for a change. I have got into the habit of mostly poaching quince because I can do a lot at the same time, and not only is it delicious but it freezes perfectly. Keep well Diane
The Yum List 13/10/22 04:41: I often eat quince paste with cheese - the combo of sweet and savoury is delightful.
Ben | Havocinthekitchen 13/10/22 20:52: Beautiful and relatively healthy treats. Loving the addition of orange and ginger, too.
Sherry's Pickings 14/10/22 10:33: another ripper recipe angie.
Tisa Jacob 19/10/22 06:00: Honestly, Angie, your pictures and posts can hold my attention for days, nonstop. Beautiful. These type of gelee candies are some of my favorite things to indulge upon.
Noob Cook 31/10/22 06:45: Quince is totally new to me, got to keep my eyes out for it the next time I’m at a gourmet supermarket.
Anonymous 31/10/22 18:09: Quince has such a lovely and unique flavour. Whenever I get my hands on some, which isn't very often, I end up making quince jelly. But I'm very taken with the idea of quince candies.

Choclette x
Anonymous 13/10/24 02:31: Where do you live? I never heard of kitnikez.
Yes, we do have quince in the US. Growing up we had a tree and my mom made membrillo. YUM! I’ve made that and quince jam and am looking forward to trying other recipes, as well. It isn’t always available, but have found it in a local farm stand, as well as Whole Foods. It smells absolutely divine when ripe and during cooking. Can’t wait, tis the season!