DIY for basic preparation for various quince recipes

Vegan - Lactose-free - Gluten-free

Preparation: Difficulty level: easy

Basic ingredients:

- freshly picked quinces
- quince peel
- potato peeler
- 2 large pots
- corer
- lemon juice if necessary

Below you will find our basic DIY recipe, which serves as the basis for various delicious preparations with quinces.
This year, we used our quinces to make a chutney, compote, jelly, quince bread and the tried and tested quince jelly. Our quinces were also enough for sio quince syrup.
The recipes will follow gradually in our DIY section.

First of all, of course, the quinces have to be picked. In our garden, the quince tree has already reached a considerable size, so we need either a ladder or a fruit picker.

The right time is also crucial. On the one hand, the quinces should be fully ripe in order to develop their wonderful aroma and on the other hand, quinces are also very popular with wasps and are therefore often eaten.
When this happens, they unfortunately rot away on the tree. In dry years, the fruit may also crack or fall off the tree prematurely.

Once harvested, quinces should be processed very quickly. On the one hand, they will then lose none of their aroma and on the other, any existing bruises or rot will not spread any further.

We start by cleaning the quinces.
The fruit naturally has a fuzz that should be thoroughly removed under running water. This reveals a smooth skin with a light natural waxy coating.

Quinces peeled

Quinces pitted

Once the quinces have been washed, we now set about peeling, coring and cutting them out.
It is important to keep the peel and core, as they will be an essential part of all subsequent recipes, as the quince peel contains a large proportion of the flavor.

You can either use an apple corer to remove the core, but this is very laborious, or you can cut out the core after you have cut the quinces into quarters. You can then cut the pieces into cubes.
Depending on the year, the quinces are reasonably soft and easy to cut. In some years, however, they are rock hard.

To prevent the quince pieces from turning brown, you can put them in a pot with water and lemon juice immediately after cutting.
However, if you let them turn brown, the quince bread will have a beautiful reddish-brown color.