Quince Jelly.

 They dined on mince, and slices of quince , Which they ate with a runcible spoon; And hand in hand, on the edge of the sand, They danced by the light of the moon.

Edward Lear.

And still she slept an azure-lidded sleep, In blanched linen, smooth, and lavendered, While he from forth the closet brought a heap of candied apple, quince, and plum, and gourd; With jellies soother than the creamy curd, And lucent syrops, tinct with cinnamon; Manna and dates, in argosy transferred From Fez; and spiced dainties, every one, from silken Samarcand to cedared Lebanon. 

John Keates

There is something about quince that conjures up a past world. My neighbour has a very ancient quince tree in her garden. As a fruit it is very woody and bitter to eat. But with a little patience a delicious fragrant jelly can be made.

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Slice the fruit into a large pan, include skin but discard core

For every 4 pounds of fruit add one pint of water ( apologies for the imperial measurements but it is a very old recipe!)

Simmer fruit for about 45 mins until soft

Tip entire contents into a muslin net suspended over a bowl and leave to drip, overnight if necessary. Squeeze muslin to get all the liquid

Measure liquid and for every pint of liquid add 14 ounces of preserving sugar and one tablespoon of lemon juice

Simmer gently in pan until all sugar is dissolved. Then bring to a rapid boil for ten minutes. Test for set using a drop of jelly onto a cold plate. If a skin forms it is ready. Continue to boil for a couple more minutes if not.

Pour jelly into sterilised jam jars

The jelly is particularly good with cooked meats or with cheeses.

Enjoy. B x