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What Is Quince Jelly?
As its name suggests, quince jelly is a type of preserve made from quinces, a pear-like fruit native to the Middle East. The jelly is pale pink in color and tart yet sweet in taste, and is often eaten on toast or used in fruit tarts. Quince jelly is fairly easy to produce because quinces naturally contain a significant amount of pectin, and because they do not need to be peeled or cored prior to jelly making. Once prepared, the jelly is usually sealed in sterile jars and allowed to age.
Although the flesh of the quince is white or pale yellow in color, prolonged exposure to heat causes it to turn reddish-pink. Consequently, quince jelly typically has a pale pink hue. As fresh quinces are quite sour in taste, when preparing this jelly, quince juice and sugar are used in almost equal proportions. The combination of these ingredients results in a preserve that is both sweet and tart. It is commonly used as a topping for toast, and is sometimes also used to add flavor to fruit tarts and pies.
Quince jelly is among the easiest types of jelly to prepare. This is partly because the quince naturally contains a large amount of pectin, the carbohydrate responsible for the thick texture of jelly. Therefore, it generally is not necessary to add pectin when making quince jelly. In fact, the only ingredients needed when preparing this type of jelly are quince juice, lemon juice, and sugar. Some cooks opt to add a further layer of flavor to the jelly using ingredients like cinnamon or currants, but such additives are optional.
Another reason that quince jelly is easy to make is that the fruits do not need to be peeled, cored, or de-seeded prior to use. They are simply roughly chopped and boiled in water until they soften. The resulting fruit is then drained and refrigerated overnight, and finally boiled with sugar and lemon juice until the mixture becomes thick.
Those who wish to preserve their quince jelly for a significant period of time should seal it in sterilized jars before it has begun to cool. Some cooks hold that the jelly should not be eaten for several weeks or even months after it has been canned. According to these individuals, the jelly’s flavor develops and deepens when it is allowed to age.
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![Quince turns a deep red when cooked and is often used to make jams and jellies.]()
By: Antonio GravanteQuince turns a deep red when cooked and is often used to make jams and jellies. -
![Quince jelly is made from Quinces, a pear-like fruit.]()
By: Anna KucherovaQuince jelly is made from Quinces, a pear-like fruit. -
![Currents can add a twist to quince jelly.]()
By: Christian JungCurrents can add a twist to quince jelly.
Discussion Comments
@fBoyle-- It's the seeds of quince that gives quince jelly that tangerine color. Boil the jelly with the seeds and then scoop them out later. I also add whole cloves while it is boiling, it smells amazing.
@ysmina-- Technically, jelly is made with just fruit juice whereas jam is made with fruit pieces. But some people use these descriptions interchangeably. Quince is a very hard fruit and it may be difficult to get the juice at home. So I think that most people do include the fruit in their quince preserves.
I make quince jelly and jam at home as well and I include the fruit. I can't quite get it right though. My quince jelly is not a very dark orange as it should be. Does anyone know how to make quince jelly darker?
I there a difference between quince jelly and jam?
I love quince jam, I grew up eating it because my family is Middle Eastern. Quince does grow in the United States. We had several quince trees in Ohio and the fruit was large and tasty.
My mom would grate the quince and cook it with sugar on the stove and then put it in jars. I love having it for breakfast on top of toast. I usually put butter on my toast and then quince jam. But it can also be eaten with waffles, pancakes and as a condiment on desserts.
I can't get a hold of fresh quince anymore, but thankfully my Middle Eastern grocery sells it. It's not as good as my mom's homemade jam but it's close.
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