Quince Paste, Pâte de Coing
More sweets for the 5th Fiesta Friday, however not the easiest recipe! I started experimenting with this recipe 2 years ago, with the help of my mother of course After many failures, I am finally satisfied with this Quince Paste. Quince is a wonderful fruit, hard to the touch but so tender when cooked.
Serves 20 pieces/24 pieces
Ingredients:
- 4 quinces
- Caster sugar
- 1 lemon
- Water
Procedure:
- Wash the quinces properly with a brush.
- Cut in four the quinces.
- Remove the seeds from the quinces and set aside the seeds, (it’s very important to keep the seeds they are full of pectin, a natural vegetable gelling agent).
- Rub with half lemon the pieces of quince.
- Put the seeds into a piece of cheesecloth (muslin cloth) and tie.
- In a large cooking pan, add the pieces of quince and put the cheesecloth (muslin cloth) into the bottom of the pan.
- Pour the water, just cover the pieces of quince.
- Cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes (I suggest you poke with a knife a piece of quince), if it’s tender remove from the heat.
- With a skimmer pick up the pieces and put them into a blender.
- Remove the cheesecloth but keep the water of the quinces (you can do jam or marmalade with this water).
- Mix the pieces of quince and set aside.
- Weigh the quince puree and put it in a large cooking pan.
- Add the same weight of sugar than the quince puree.
- Pour the sugar on the top of the quince puree and start to cook on a low heat.
- Stir continually the puree with a wooden spoon until the quince puree detaches from the pan, becomes thick and amber color (about 45 minutes for me, please do not give up).
- Add a baking paper into a deep baking pan.
- Transfer the quince paste into a deep baking pan to have a thick paste of 2 or 3 centimeters.
- The paste should be well spread.
- Set aside for 3 days (more or less depending the weather).
- After one week return the paste quince and dry for 2 more days and sprinkle with sugar the top to crystallize the paste.
- When it’s completely dry, cut into a diamond shape, round or square shape.
This sweet is thick like candy and also delicious with cheese. Keeps very well in a metal box.
Bonne Dégustation!
Oh wow. They sound wonderful and I can see they would take some time to master! Great post!
Thank you so much. I love quince paste, it reminds me my childhood memories, this is why I persevere to maintain this tradition 🙂
I love quinces! I was first introduced to them while I was traveling in Lithuania, but haven’t been able to find them since. I miss it! Such a unique flavor. Your crystallized treats look delicious!
Thank you Lisa. I agree with you, the flavor of this fruit is wonderful. I’m sorry is hard to find in your area and the quince is often neglected.
I’ve never had quince but I’d love to try it. Looks nice and sugary and delicious!
Thank you so much Alex 🙂 I hope you will have the occasion to taste it.
Ma pâte de fruits préférée ….car encore et beaucoup de souvenirs …elle fait partie des délices que je n’ai jamais voulu apprendre ( je l’avoue) ,pensant que ma chère maman ( Allah yarhamha) serait toujours là pour me les faire et maintenant je me dis…qu’elle restera toujours la seule à les faire à la perfection vu le temps et l’amour qu’elle y mettait .
Mais les tiennes sont étincelantes Linda ,bravo…je suis un peu jalouse …mais c’est TOI et je ne peux que m’en réjouir !!
Une grosse boussa à vous deux !!
Et oui Mima, que de bons souvenirs. Allah yarham ta maman, elle t’as beaucoup appris…Tu m’as bien fait rire (un peu jalouse 🙂 ), tu es une excellente cuisiniere, tu as la chance d’avoir de beaux coings dans les environs, tu dois absolument essayer cette recette et je ne me fais aucun doute sur le resultat final. On te fait de grosses boussettes aussi 🙂 Tes visites m’enchantent a chaque fois.
Beautiful! I’ve never worked with quinces before! I just made a fruit paste myself, but I didn’t sugar it like yours. Of course, mine was made as a cheese pairing. Love your blog!
Thank you chef Mimi. I put sugar to crystallize and to prevent the quince paste does not stick between your fingers. I’m sure your fruit paste must be delicious 🙂
Yum! I love quince, and try to make quince jam every year. Your quince paste takes a bit more patience, but the result looks wonderful. Isn’t quince a surprising fruit? So yellow and knobbly, yet such fragrance and color once it’s cooked.
Thank you Saucy 🙂 Yes, this one takes time, but worth the wait!
I love the amber color, and was telling Angie, how we used the fruits to put them in between bed sheets to keep a nice fruity fragrance! Have a good weekend 🙂
Wow! I love quince pasta, though the paste I usually buy at the market is so much darker than the beauties you made here (I wonder if that’s bad that they’re so dark?). I usually enjoy a slice of quince paste with a slice of cheese on top of a cracker or piece of baguette. Thank you for sharing the recipe!
Thank you Ngan. It could be a different type of Quince, or maybe preservation agents? But if you’re buying it from a market it should be fine. Yes with cheese, or even served with a coffee. Have a good weekend 🙂
I have never had quince before…where can i get them? Your recipe looks delicious as always!
Thank you Indu! I think you should be able to find them in the fruit market (but it always depends, sometimes hard to find). But (i think) this recipe could work with another fruit 🙂
yes that’s what I was wondering if I could use some other fruit. I will start by finding out how quince looks like first to get a similar fruit. thanks
Indu, quince looks like a cross between an apple and pear and very fragrant. Cannot be eaten raw always cooked. I hope this can help you 🙂
yes that sure does. maybe I will try with pear… thanks!
Aaah…quince! Love the fragrance of the fruit! Whenever I get hold of them, I always leave a couple in my car to perfume it. Sadly I wasn’t able to find them this year. I’m going to try to look harder. This looks delectable, by the way. Does it taste like fruit leather?
Thank you Angie! Oh I do hope you find them, because its well worth trying! We used to put them between the bed sheets to keep a nice fruity fragrance in the air 😀 It’s a bit different to fruit leather (the quince is less acidic in taste & very very soft). Thank you for the 5th fiesta! XO
2 years of trying??? You are the most dedicated cook I have ever met! I admire your persistence and the results look gorgeous! Wow!
Oh wow, thank you Julianna! 😀 This is definitely the longest Ive ever taken for a recipe, but worth the wait! Hope you try it and have a good weekend 🙂
Wow, what great textures! Please pass the plate!
Thank you Patty 🙂 A plate for you and one for Bailey 🙂
Aww thanks for thinking of Bailey! That is so sweet of you!! xoxo
I really must try quinces!!
I’m sure you’ll love them 🙂
I think so too!!
They look gorgeous, all moist and delicious!
Thank you Lidia 🙂
These look amazing- definitely going to have to try the recipe soon!
Thanks. Do let me know if you make them.
This looks so good. No one I know grows quince and I have never eaten it except in the form of jelly.
Thank you 🙂 The quince is a fragrant fruit and the paste very moist different from jelly.
Is this like a kind of jelly-candy thing? I love this recipe! Sounds really nice…
Thanks Serena, have a nice week-end 🙂
you too darling! Enjoy your Sunday! 🙂
As we do with pomegranate, Iranians have a love relationship with quince. Anything with quince we love. Your quince paste looks absolutely delectable. Gorgeous!
Thank you so much Fae. I made this paste with quince from Iran!! They are on sale in the market every year. Sometimes, I buy them just to place them into a basket around the house for the wonderful fragrance 🙂
i love quince and this looks amazing! Brilliant addition to Fiesta Friday!
Thank you 🙂 A sweet Fiesta Friday.
hummmm very good !!!!
Thank you, merci beaucoup 🙂
I had the occasion to taste these delicious quince sweets from Linda last year and I can say that they are extremely tasty, pure Algerian “terroir”, done with with a lot of love and generosity…bravo Linda…
Thank you so much Neila for your lovely comments 🙂 I’m so happy because you never stopped encourage me and appreciate my simple cuisine. Bon week-end.