TRY QUINCE JAM
A reader reminds us of a treat our grandmothers may have made, including recipes.
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A reader reminds us of a treat our grandmas might have
made.
by
Marilyn H. Hoijer
In my
section of California (and throughout Zones 5 through 8 on
the USDA's plant hardiness map, which can be found on page
180 of this issue), anybody who takes a summer drive down
country roads may see a number of large bushes that will be
loaded—come harvest time—with attractive,
apple-sized, golden fruit. Those delicious-looking globes
are quinces (Cydonia oblonga) and—while they're not
used for much more than an occasional treat for livestock
nowadays—the puckery-when-raw fruits were once the
main ingredient in a mouthwatering array of early American
pies, marmalades, jellies, and jams.
If you can stake out
an available quince bush while you're on an outing this
summer, that single shrub once its fruit ripens—will
probably provide you with all the fixings you'll need.
Better yet—since most people consider the fruits
inedible—you shouldn't have any trouble obtaining
permission to pick them. Why not get yourself a bucketful
(about 10 pounds), gather together some honey, jars and
paraffin . . . and give my grandmother's quince jam recipe
a try!
First scrub each fruit to remove its fuzzy coating,
but don't peel off its skin. Then quarter the washed
quinces and push out their seeds without trying to
remove the cores. Put the quince wedges in a large pan and
add enough water to cover the slices by about half an inch.
