Author: story of a kitchen (adapted from many sources)
Recipe type: appetizer
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Use about 3 large quince to make an 8x8x1 sheet of membrillo. Since I had one large quince, I used a smaller diameter container to dry it in. The recipe can easily be scaled up to make more.
Ingredients
1 large quince
sugar (amount will depend on how much quince puree you have after cooking)
vanilla extract (1 teaspoon) or vanilla bean
lemon juice
rind of one lemon, in strips
water
Instructions
Wash and scrub quince, making sure the fuzz is removed. Core and cut into 1-2-inch chunks. Keep peels on.
Place quince into large pot and cover with 1 inch of water. Add lemon rind and vanilla.
Boil for about 30 minutes, or until the quince chunks are fork-tender.
Remove quince from heat with runcible spoon (how appropriate!) and place in bowl. Wait! Don't dump the quince water! SAVE IT. We'll talk about this after the membrillo is done.
Using a food processor or analogous machine, puree the crap out of the cooked quince.
Measure your puree. I ended up with 2 cups. Add in enough sugar to make a 1:1 ratio of quince to sugar. I added 2 cups of sugar to my 2 cups of quince puree. Add in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice for every cup of puree. If using vanilla beans, scrape out seeds and add to pot. Save bean dregs for another use. (You can save these babies for our quince water project later, too. DON'T throw them away! It's gold!)
Place over medium heat and simmer for 2-3 hours, stirring occasionally to prevent burning. You will see an amazing transformation: the once ivory color puree will darken and become a dark orange color. And while the quince paste is cooking, your house will smell amazing. The quince is ready for the next step when it is thickened and that lovely deep color.
Line a baking dish (the amount of quince madness you intend to make and eat depends on the size of the dish) with parchment and butter the parchment. Pour the paste into the dish and smooth out the top.
Flip your oven to the lowest temperature it can heat to (around 150 or 200 degrees F) and place the dish inside for 2 hours or so. If you have heat near 200 degrees F, then crack the oven door a bit. This step helps dry out the membrillo so it isn't running when you try to cut into it.
Flip onto a pan and allow to cool completely. Wrap in parchment and foil and store in the fridge. It keeps for a year, maybe longer, if you don't eat it all. It's a nice appetizer to pull out with manchego cheese at a moment's notice.
Another drying method (but I did not try it): place hot quince paste in parchment-lined pan, cover with another layer of parchment, then place in fridge overnight.
So what to do with that quince water? And the vanilla bean dregs? See Notes section.*
Notes
* Quince syrup for soda, that's what! Mix equal parts quince water with sugar and vanilla bean shell, bring to simmer to dissolve all sugar, then cool completely. Chill and mix with seltzer water for a wonderful floral-apple honey-flavored drink. Eat and I drank this pretty quickly, loving the complex flavors.
NOTE: Another variation - if you don't want to eat the membrillo with cheese, you can turn it into dessert, serving it as a chewy candy, dredging in sugar or not.
Recipe by story of a kitchen at https://www.storyofakitchen.com/appetizers/membrillo-quince-paste/