Easy quince cheese recipe (membrillo)
Posted by Fiona Nevile in Fruit, Jam Jelly and Preserves, Vegetarian | 156 comments
I’m back at the helm and it’s marvellous to be feeling well and chirpy and slimmer. Forget Champneys. A week in bed with a bug does wonders for the figure.
Danny put on his sensible parent hat this morning. He instructed me not to go to work, reasoning that more recuperation was required. He was right. I did feel weak.
This afternoon, he relented slightly.
“Why not go out foraging for an hour. You could do with some fresh air.”
He passed me the foraging stick, tossed me his car keys and disappeared upstairs.
I found some plump sloes and with the help of the walking stick accessed branches that only a seven foot giant could reach. The crab apple tree had a small final harvest. Being north facing its fruit had not spoiled. I tootled home and simmered the crab apples with chillies to make a hot jelly (recipe later this week if it turns out well).
My main aim today was to make some quince cheese. The quinces had been cooked and strained for jelly the week before last. The juice and flesh keep well in the fridge for up to two weeks. Today was the last day.
When I discovered membrillo at the Spanish Deli in Portobello Road I was delighted. I love the combination of membrillo and Manchego. Danny wasn’t impressed. His face crumpled when he tasted it.
“It’s so sweet. How can you like it?”
I was pretty sure that membrillo needn’t be so sweet. I looked at various recipes on the internet. The amount of sugar varied enormously. In the end I decided to plump for an equal volume of quince pulp to sugar. This has produced a membrillo that is sweet but tastes of quince. I reckon that one could get away with even less sugar in fact when I looked in my copy of Oded Schwartz, his recipe uses slightly less – 50g less. Adding the lemon juice made a difference too.
They key to this recipe is time. I simmered the quinces for at least three hours until they became a deep pink colour. The final stage is a long process too. The quince pulp and sugar was simmered gently (lowest setting) for a good 2-3 hours to intensify the colour and thicken the pulp to the right consistency. There is no need to bring the mixture to a rolling boil. This is a recipe that is spread over two evenings. One evening simmer the quinces and strain overnight. The next evening make the membrillo.
Danny tasted it gave the recipe the thumbs up, especially when he realised that the by product is the juice for quince jelly.
Easy quince cheese recipe (membrillo)
Ingredients:
For the quince pulp:
- 1 kilo of quinces
- Zest of half a lemon
- Water to cover
For the quince cheese:
- Quince pulp
- Juice of half a lemon
- Granulated (not castor) white sugar (equal volume to the pulp)
Method:
- Rub the down off the quinces and wash them. There is no need to peel or core the quinces.
- Chop the quinces carefully, as they are hard it is easy for the knife to slip. I chopped them into quarters and sliced them into 1cm slices.
- Place the quince slices in a large saucepan or casserole dish and add water so that they are just floating. Add the zest of half a lemon.
- Bring slowly to the boil and then turn the hob down to it’s lowest setting so that the quinces gently simmer (lid on). Simmer the fruit until very soft and the fruit has turned a deep pink colour. This took me about 3 hours. Check the quinces every now and then and top up the water if necessary.
- Strain the juice from the fruit overnight using a jelly bag or muslin square. Retain the juice to make quince jelly.
- I was loathe to spend hours pressing the quinces through a sieve so I put them through the Magimix
(medium grater blade) and then I sieved them.
- Measure the pulp using a measuring jug put the pulp into a large heavy bottomed saucepan or casserole dish and add an equal volume of white granulated sugar. Add the juice of half a lemon.
- Bring the pulp and sugar gradually to simmering point, stirring to dissolve the sugar and let it simmer, lowest setting for 2-3 hours, stirring every now and then to stop it sticking and burning. It will resemble gloopy mud. Gradually the colour will darken. Eventually the fruit will become very thick (I could stand my spoon up in mine).
- Spoon into well oiled sterilised straight sided jars and seal with cellophane lids. This will keep for months. Cut slices to eat with cheese or cold meat. Refrigerate after opening.
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I used my japonica quince fruits to make both the jelly and cheese for the second year. The fruit produces a beautiful almost marmalade colour jelly and deep toffee colour cheese both the jelly and cheese have a wonderful distinctive sweet/sharp flavour. I think next time I make it I will try and separate the pips and put them in a muslin bag to cook with the pulp. It might make pushing through a sieve less time consuming although it is a good work out!!
Ourania – might be easier to chip the flesh off the core, then bag the cores. The cores do come in discrete globes. Or for small fruit, cut through the flesh so that it’s easier to rub off when cooked – few nicks around top and bottom, then segment down.
Pips are reputed to have some cyanide content, perhaps a bowlful would be harmful, but in moderation should add to the flavour. Personally I’ve only used them for propagation.
My sister in law from the UK visited this summer, and looking at my loaded Quince tree told me I must make Quince cheese, a friend made jelly a couple of years ago, and it did nothing for me, but thought maybe I should give it a try, as she is an amzing cook.
So just found your recipe, and the jelly is made, totally different from what the friend provided, this is a lovely rose pink and tastes great ( thermometer 220)
The Membrillo has been on the stove two hours, still not the colour of yours, but thick! Can’t wait for it to finish.
Help! I got a small round of homemade apple paste wrapped in parchment paper about 6 months ago and was told it will last forever. I put the wrapped (in parchment paper) paste in a ziploc plastic bag and placed it on a shelf inside a kitchen cabinet. I pulled it out today and it feels awefully dry (I live in an extremely dry part of the US). Is there any way to re-moisten it a bit so I can serve it next week? Has anyone tried eating a really really dry membrillo? Any ideas? Don’t want to toss it and waste it. Thanks!
Do the ornamental quince change colour on cooking too? I’ve just stewed some (or at least that’s what I think they are- they’re small hard yellow fruit from marble to satsuma- size. The flowers were like apple blossom but scarlet and each fruit has a cavity containing a number of apple-like pips) in the while it’s turned to a stiffoft sludge
Not sure if those are meant to be edible? Waitrose (in West Ealing) had a good supply of the real fruit last week (at £1 each, but they go a long way).
One more thought: if anyone’s looking for small glass ramekins, I’m sure I’m not the only one who has lots left over from Gu special offers or supermarket Meal Deals. (Too good to just throw away or recycle, but too many now to live with…) Perhaps some kind of exchange site is needed?
Arrived here when wondering which cheeses might best suit a gift of membrillo from a friend’s garden (and kitchen) in Asturias (northern Spain).
She also brought back two whole quinces, which I’ve happily roasted (one at a time) in a small lidded Pyrex dish with maple syrup, Marsala and lemon juice (after coring and peeling); 2 hours at around 160 degrees. Wonderful as a condiment with spicy meat stews (or ice cream)and the resulting syrup can also lend a subtle flavour to cocktails. (Try with rum and raspberry Benecol over ice, but don’t tell my doctor!)
Just got back from my son’s new house outside Cambridge laden down with huge quinces from their big old tree. I’ve made the quince jelly, membrillo and jam. Next up is the chutney, and lasstly, I found a great recipe for quince vodka, so hopefully lots of cheer at New Year !!!!
Just to say that the UK’s National Collection of quinces is held at Norton Priory, Warrington, in the north of England. They have a Quince and Apple Day each October where large quantities of quince fruit (lots of ‘Vranja’ and ‘Portuguese’ this year) and all sorts of apples can be bought. Knowledgeable experts are on hand too, to answer questions about choosing the right varieties if you want to grow them yourself. I drive home with the car windows open, the fragrance is so strong…
Hi Elaine
Thanks for the tip. Wish that we lived closer ;(
You will be shocked to really here that your wasting your time buying Quinces, they are free on most trees you find, and its easy to do so. Don’t use the windfalls as they rot quite quickly, and this recipe, well its a waste of energy and good food. There’s far better and far more tasty results elsewhere. Buying quinces, this really falls into the bracket of buying Blackberrys, their free, and everywhere…
I love the idea of getting ‘full value’ from the quinces.
I have just been given a bag of quinces, and am making jelly, and then, perhaps will continue on to membrillo….
Do the pips and cores not upset your membrillo?
Thanks!