A rich quince jelly was never in my plans, but once I made it, I realized how much I love the flavor. Have you heard of quince before? This fruit is a mix of apple, pear, and citrus in one. I love using it in the summer, as it is sweet but also refreshing.
A Rich Quince Jelly Is Just What You Have Been Craving All Along
To make this recipe, I use about 3 pounds of quinces. Since this fruit isn’t always in season, when it is, I buy it in bulk and make jelly and jam whenever possible. You can use other fruits, though, such as apples, pears, oranges, or peaches.
I also add white sugar, but you can use other sweeteners, like granulated sugar, brown sugar, honey, or corn syrup.
Finally, as with any jelly, you need to use an acid. I use citric acid, but you can add lemon or lime juice, or even vinegar in a pinch.
To cook this quince jelly, I start by cutting the fruit without peeling them. I suggest you save the cores too. I then put the quinces in a deep pot and cover it with 6 cups of water. I keep cooking until the mix is reduced to about 4 cups, then I add the sugar.
To test whether my mix is ready, I place a drop of it on a plate and test to see if it is thick enough. If it is thick, I add the citric acid and simmer for 3 more minutes.
After the jelly is ready, I ladle it into my jars and let them cool for a few hours. Remember to flip your jars upside down before cooling them, as this helps the jelly expand and cool down slowly.
Follow my steps and you’ll have a tasty new flavored jelly to eat as a treat any time of the day.
Rich Quince Jelly
Ingredients
3 lbs (1.3 kg) quinces
4 cups (512 g) sugar
6 cups (1.4 L) water
1/2 tsp citric acid
Directions
- Wash and cut quinces. Do not peel and keep core.
- Place quinces in a large pot then cover with water. Bring to boil.
- Simmer for 30 minutes.
- Strain and measure quince juice. You’ll get approximately 4 cups.
- Pour it back on the pot and bring to boil.
- Add sugar, use 3/4 cups of sugar for every cup of juice.
- Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.
- Simmer, remove any foam that rises on top.
- Cook until ready. To test put a small drop of jelly on a plate, it should thicken after a minute.
- Add citric acid, simmer for further 2-3 minutes then remove from heat.
- Gently ladle into hot jars, leave 1/4 inch (6 mm) headspace.
- Wipe jar rim then apply lid and ring. Adjust to fingertip-tightness.
- Process for 15 minutes (adjust for altitude).
- Turn heat off, let jars sit for 5 minutes to settle.
- Remove jars and cool for 24 hours. Do not place jars on a cold surface or where there’s cool draft as jars may crack.
- After 24 hours, check the seal on lids by pressing down the center, the lid shouldn’t wiggle and must feel nice and solid.
- Any unsealed jars must be refrigerated and consumed first.
