The Old Quince Tree,
A French Cheese Platter
and
Elizabethan Quince Cheese ~ Membrillo
Ruby red and perfumed, she sat provocatively on the table, and without a quiver of embarrassment she glowed and embraced the French cheeses that shared the same platter in the Autumn sunshine…. Yes, I am waxing lyrical I know, but I will always be poetic when discussing quinces, they are my favourite orchard fruit and I’m very privileged to be the current caretaker of an old quince tree in my French garden. The tree is not pretty ~ it is gnarled and crooked, it leans against an old stone wall as if it is chatting to its neighbour and yet it has a beauty that none of my other fruit trees possess, as amongst its crooked branches nestles the perfumed golden orbs of fruit that I love so much.
Quinces have been grown in France and Britain since Mediaeval times and were very popular and highly regarded for their musky, fragrant flavour and rosy red flesh. They were often served poached or baked with honey and were also made in little sweeties (candies) called comfits ~ a sweet delicacy that was popular in Elizabethan times. The first marmalade to arrive in Britain was made from quinces, in fact it’s the fruit that gave its name to marmalade, Marmelo being the Portuguese word for quince.
I have had a bumper year for quince in 2011 and have decided to make various preserves and desserts with my amazing fruity haul ~ I shall be featuring them over the next few days. The first preserve I decided to make was a batch of Quince Cheese, called Membrillo in Spain and a firm favourite with me and my family. It always makes an appearance on my Christmas cheeseboard and by the time the New Year has started, it has all been devoured! Quince Cheese is not a cheese at all, but is closely related to jams and jellies, but with a firmer texture and is usually stored and served moulded, then cut into slices as an accompaniment to cheese and cold meats.
Most fruits make wonderful cheeses, I particularly like blackberry, but quince makes such a pretty ruby~red coloured version……it’s really rather Gucci! Plus, I am always amazed how the rather dull looking creamy flesh turns into such a staggeringly beautiful colour, and then there is the musky almost honey rose flavour too……it’s true alchemy.
This recipe is very easy, but you must be extremely careful when cutting the quinces, as they are cruelly hard and difficult to manage with a weedy knife ~ so, you will need a sharp knife that is man enough for the job. The results speak for themselves though and all of that chopping and stirring is well worth it. A note on how to store and serve them; I always like to keep and serve mine moulded, the cheese in featured in my photos was stored in an old jelly mould and when turned out displays a pretty pattern and shape. I also use small glass yoghurt pots and straight sided jam jars, anything that makes un~moulding the cheese easy and attractive to serve.
I hope you enjoy my first quince recipe, I have a “quartet” of quince recipes to share this week….some are preserves and some are naughty little pudding ideas. If you don’t have access to a quince tree, you will often see them for sale in Middle Eastern, Cypriot or Turkish shops in the UK ~ in France, most people in the country have a quince tree, so it’s not a problem.
Elizabethan Quince Cheese
Ingredients:
- 1.5kg quince
- Juice of 2 lemons
- About 1kg granulated sugar
- vegetable oil
Method:
- Wash the quince thoroughly and, if necessary, rub off any furry down from their skins. Chop them without peeling or coring them into medium-sized chunks and put in a large saucepan. Be very careful as they are very hard to cut. Add the lemon juice and enough cold water to just cover them – about 1.5 litres. Bring to the boil, cover and simmer for 2 to 3 hours or until very soft and a dusky, rosy colour. If necessary, add more water while cooking to ensure the quince cook evenly and don’t catch on the bottom of the pan.
- Once very soft, push the mixture through a fine nylon sieve with a ladle. This takes time but rids the quince of any remaining debris. Measure the resulting purée and allow 450g granulated sugar for every 500ml puréed quince. (For every 1 pint of purée you need 1 lb sugar.)
- Prepare some suitable jars, moulds or containers. You can use plastic food boxes: wash in a dishwasher and leave to dry. Alternatively, use Kilner jars, jelly moulds, small glass yoghurt pots or small jam jars: wash in hot, soapy water and leave to dry in a cool oven. Whatever you choose, make sure it will be easy to cut or turn out the quince cheese.
- Put the quince purée and sugar in a large saucepan over a low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then bring up to the boil and cook, stirring all the time, until the mix is so thick that the spoon leaves a clean line when drawn across the bottom of the pan. This will take about 30 minutes to one hour ~ it is a moveable feast! As the purée thickens it will spit violently, so protect your arms and watch your eyes too.
- Lightly oil the sterilised containers and fill them with the piping-hot quince cheese. Seal once cold. Store for up to a year. This is delicious with cheeses and charcuterie but can also be cut into squares, dusted with sugar and served as a sweetmeat.
See you tomorrow with my second Quince recipe……and I could not leave without showing you my old quince tree……
Karen
Dom at Belleau Kitchen says
What a beautiful post! And that quince jelly looks divine. I love cheese and jelly. It's the perfect combo with a strong Lincolnshire Poacher of course!!
Marie says
Fabulous Karen!! I love Membrillo with cheese and you pay a pretty penny for it at the cheese shops! You can get it in Waitrose as well. I would love a quince tree. We had one in our garden when I was a girl. Tis not a fruit you see very often in the shops. Beautifully photographed as always. xxoo
karin@yumandmore says
wonderful Karen. we have tons of quince here so it was exciting to find out that you can store them so long. whatva great idea indeed for a cheese platter and i love food history. can't wait for the next 3 recipes!
Barbara Sage says
Hi, Love your recipe. Please though, could you enlarge your font? It would make reading more enjoyable.
Well, off now to create the Quince cheese! I live in France, and grow most produce, preserving all gluts. My neighbour has the Quince tree and has given over the voluptuous crops over to me for the last 2 years. This year, I have been looking for a ‘cheese’ recipe for all the charcuterie and numerous cheeses that our French friends consume on a daily basis, but especially at Christmas.
I hope to find all your other recipes and commentary on food
Karen Burns-Booth says
Thanks Barbara, I will see if I can enlarge my font, but this post is an old one that I shared on a different platform and it may not work, hence the font being so small! I have lots of other quince recipes here:
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2012/11/kenwood-christmas-menu-christmas-pudding-chocolate-spread-and-spiced-quince-cranberry-chutney.html
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2012/11/a-bonfire-treat-sticky-yorkshire-ginger-parkin-with-quince-and-pomegranate-compote.html
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2012/11/a-seasonal-slow-sunday-supper-aromatic-beef-and-quince-tagine-with-pomegranate.html
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2012/10/fresh-fruit-for-the-office-with-fruitdrop-the-quince-tree-and-baked-orchard-fruits-with-vanilla-and-honey.html
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2011/10/last-of-quinces-elizabeth-barrett.html
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2011/10/alchemy-and-stained-glass-windowshome.html
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2011/09/last-of-quince-quartet-and-saucy-little.html
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2011/09/more-quintessential-quince-with-old.html
https://www.lavenderandlovage.com/2011/09/old-quince-tree-french-cheese-platter.html
Thanks!
Karen
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Dom…..I am a BIG fan of Lincolnshire Poacher cheese so I am full accord with your serving suggestion!
Thanks for your kind comments and for stopping by, I am a big fan of your blog.
Karen
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Marie…..it is SO expensive in the shops and if you can source quince, it is so easy to make too.
Karen S Booth says
Thanks Karin, watch out for more quince recipes this week.
Karen
bellini says
I have no access to quince, but I do have blackberries (brambles) overflowing from the fridge. They wopuld be pretty as well unmolded on my cheese platter.
Karen S Booth says
Hello Bellini, you can make this recipe with blackberries ~ just cook the same way but the initial stage will take less time!
Karen
La Table De Nana says
How beautiful! I love looking at pretty:)
Inspired by eRecipeCards says
so jealous… cheese and preserves in the French countryside… Any idea how much fun it is for us to visit your life!
Gloria says
I love quince jelly and this look georgeous!!! so cute too! gloria
Belinda says
Hi Karen, I would like to try your quince cheese recipe but I am somewhat new to the process. What does "seal once cold" mean? Is it like making jelly with canning jars in a hot water bath? Thanks, Belinda
Karen S Booth says
Hello Belinda, this is a long lasting preserve and due to long cooking and sugar content it only needs a seal of greaseproof paper and string if using moulds and a lid if using jars. The top will dry out and it becomes harder and fuller in flavour as it ages, Hope this helps!
Karen
Fabulicious Food says
Karen you astound me and amaze me with all your amazing recipes and historical facts. I saw my neighbour picking dwarf quinces today, they are small, no bigger than a fig, must be hard to peel! Love your cheese platter. xx
Ren Behan says
Hi Karen, my second comment attempt! I just wanted to say you are amazing. I am always so inspired by your recipes and historical facts. This Quince Jelly looks wonderful, my neighbour was picking quinces today, but a dwarf variety. I might have to swap her for a bag of Bramleys 🙂
Ren Behan says
LOL, look, my other comment has appeared! There you go, you wait for a comment and three come all at once!
Laura@howtocookgoodfood says
Your quince jelly looks beautiful and I love the mould you have used. I am so pleased you are enjoying your quinces and hadn’t realised that most people have a quince tree in France, along with their fig and walnut trees, I guess! Lucky :)x
Karen says
Thanks Laura, yes, and another tree, a Mirabelle tree too – those are the most popular ones! Karen