Quince Cheese

Quince cheese (also known as quince jelly) is an old dessert that our grandmothers used to make. First, we cook the quinces to soften them, then blend them and cook with sugar until we get a thick jelly. The jelly is spread on a baking tray and dried for several weeks to solidify. Once dried, it is cut into pieces of any size, which are then rolled in sugar or dusted with powdered sugar.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 30 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 80 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 10

Ingredients

  • 1 kg Quince

  • pieces Lemon zest, fresh

  • 800 g Sugar, white

  • pieces Juice, lemon

Steps

  1. Wash the quinces and dry them well with a kitchen towel to remove the fuzz on the surface. Cut them into quarters and remove the stems and cores.

  2. Place the quince pieces in a large pot, add about 1.5 dl of water, and include a few pieces of lemon peel. Cook the quinces over moderate heat until they soften.

  3. Blend the cooked quinces smoothly with an immersion blender (make sure to remove the lemon peel). Add sugar and lemon juice and bring to a boil while stirring. Once it boils, cook it over low heat, stirring occasionally, for about 1 hour.

  4. When the quince jelly thickens and starts to stick to the pot, remove it from the heat. Line a low baking tray with parchment paper. Pour the quince jelly into the prepared tray and spread it evenly to form a layer 0.5 to 1 cm thick.

  5. Cover the tray with a piece of parchment paper and let the quince jelly dry in a warm and dry place for 14 days. Then flip the quince jelly in the tray and dry it covered for another 10 to 14 days.

  6. Once dried, cut the jelly into small pieces, roll them in sugar, and store them in an airtight container. Place parchment paper between the layers of quince cheese.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 57 kcal
  • Fat: 0 g
    • Saturated Fat: 0 g
  • Carbohydrates: 15 g
    • Sugars: 0 g
  • Protein: 0 g
  • Fiber: 1 g

Advice

The quinces should be well-ripened. To shorten the drying time, the quince jelly can be dried in an oven preheated to 70 degrees Celsius. Dry it for about 2 hours or until it is no longer sticky to the touch. The quince jelly should be dried in a dry place, preferably near a stove or above a refrigerator, where there is a constant flow of warm air. From the quince jelly, you can cut out any shapes using molds to create quince flowers, stars, hearts, etc.