40 mins
Quince Jelly
Recipe by Graham
Quince Jelly is a beautiful rose-coloured jelly and, though the fruit itself is quite tart and cannot be eaten raw, the jelly is fragrant and lush. Quince is a fruit related to apples and pears and, though not much grown now in USA, is still available in Britain, the temperate states of Australia and New Zealand, and most of South America (where USA gets its supply).
Quinces are a rather odd fruit looking somewhere between an apple and a pear and are quite hard. However, since they are loaded with pectin (a natural gelling agent), there are few problems using them for jellies. The very strong perfume means they can also be added (diced into small chunks) to apple pies to enhance the taste.
Queen of Puddings 
Simple Rajma Curry Ingredients for Quince Jelly
Currently displaying quantities in US Imperial Measurements
How to Cook Quince Jelly
- Core and chop the quinces (no need to peel) and place them in a large pot. Add the water and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered with a lid, for 15 minutes then strain off 1¾ pints (1 litre) of the juice into a heavy pan.
- Add the caster (superfine) sugar to the juice and bring to the boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in the lemon juice then the pectin and boil for one full minute stirring all the time. Remove the pan from heat and skim off any foam. Ladle the jelly into hot, sterile jars, and process in a hot water bath to seal (see notes below). Stored in a cool place, your home-made Quince Jelly will keep for months. Refrigerate jelly after opening.
GRAHAM'S HOT TIP:
Make sure your storage jars are sterile before adding the marmalade. To sterilize the jars wash and rinse them (and the lids), then dry them in a moderate oven (Mk 4 - 350ºF - 180ºC) for 15 to 20 minutes. Keeping them hot will also prevent the jars from breaking when you fill them with the hot preserve.
PROCESSING YOUR FILLED JARS: Fill the jars to within ¼" (6mm) of the top. Wipe any spilled preserve off the top, seat the lid and tighten. Then put them into enough boiling water to keep the jars covered with at least 2" (5cm) of water (This is where a very large pot and a pair of jar tongs comes in handy!)
Gently boil the jars for 5 minutes (longer if you live at high altitude). Living at sea level, I begin taking the jars out after 5 minutes, so if I'm making a lot, the last ones may have been processed for 7 or 8 minutes. That's fine, but don't process them for too long, or the jam will turn dark and go runny.
I am aware that some folk don't bother processing their preserves, but to me it makes little sense to do all that work making the jam and then not be absolutely sure it won't spoil.
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