Quintessential Quince

Quintessential Quince

Quince, once considered a symbol of love, has been around for more than 4000 years. This fruit, yellow-skinned, tastes like a cross between an apple and a pear.

Quince belongs to the rose family. This fruit won't win any beauty pageants. Its shape is irregular, its skin is often blemished and its texture is hard and dry.

When quince is poached in wine and sweetened with sugar or honey, the fruit is transformed into a beauty queen. The fruit takes on a vibrant red color, and tastes exotic.

The recipe I used was created by Debra Daniels Zeller. I made one modification. I used lavender sugar. Debra's recipe was recently published on her blog, Food Connections.

The quince soaked up the raspberry wine and filled by kitchen with an unforgettable fragrance. When the fruit was tender and the liquid turned into a rich syrup, I knew it was time to scoop the ice cream. A perfect dessert for a stormy Seattle evening.

I still have six more quince. So tomorrow, I am baking a quince tatin based on a recipe posted by David Lebovitz.