Quince is a different kind of fruit -- you don't eat it raw. While everyone touts the benefits of raw fruit, this is one that just does not fit in that category. Quince has many unique properties, and today we are focusing on two of them.
So, why don't you eat quince in the raw form? Well, it could be because of the grey fuzzy outside of the fruit, or it could be because of the tough, yet spongy flesh. It is an unconventional type of fruit. You can taste it, but may find that it is bitter and hard. Or, you may find that it is like a raw potato. Either way, you know they may be perfect for cooking, and that is when the quince will become an amazing fruit.
Cooking will bring a new light to your enjoyment of quince. Most people use quince for jams, spoons sweets, or baked goods to add a new flavour to a pie, or a pita. We followed the traditional formula for making a spoon sweet. The ratio is 2 fruit : 2 sugar : 1 water. That translates into 2 cups fruit, 2 cups sugar, and 1 cup water. You can adjust the actual quantities to fit the amount of fruit that you have -- just keep the same ratio.
For this recipe, you will need the following:
2 cups quince, peeled and chopped or grated
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
a few (5) cloves (optional)
a squeeze of lemon juice
Start by cleaning the quince. You have to peel the skin, then core the fruit. The centre core is hard, hollow, and never looks good. Make sure you take away the residual white skin that surrounds the middle seeds. This will get very hard when cooked and can ruin the overall soft texture. When chopping the quince, cut it into pieces that you like. Often, people will grate the fruit on a box grater or with a food processor. We like the larger chunks and find them more satisfying when enjoying a spoon sweet, so we gave our quince a rough chop.
Soak the fruit in water with a squeeze of lemon juice. This will prevent the fruit from turning brown while you get ready the other ingredients. Before you cook the quince, you will need to drain all the water.
In a pot, put the drained quince and the sugar. Then, pour the water over the sugar and mix it up until the sugar is somewhat dissolved.
Add the cloves. We chose cloves to enhance the overall flavour. You can use vanilla, or lemon zest, or something else. We have seen recipes that use masticha or geranium leaves. But, cloves are something that most people have on hand, and are easy to pick out in the end. We have also tried putting the cloves in a tea strainer and allowing that to sit in the pot. You have to make sure that he tea strainer is fully submerged in the water, and that can be difficult sometimes. So, add the enhancing flavour and mix everything together.
Now, turn the heat on a medium high and bring this mixture to a boil. This will take a few minutes. Allow it to boil for about 10 minutes. You will see the fruit start to change colour and it will look softer than where it started.
After ten minutes of boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer, and put a lid on the pot. You are going to keep in all that moisture, flavour, and heat. Allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir it occasionally to make sure the heat is evenly distributed.
As you check the mixture and you are stirring, you will notice that the syrup (sugar and water) will thicken. You want to cook this long enough to have the consistency similar to that of thick honey. It may take longer than 30 minutes, depending on your stove and the type of pot used. Continue to check the mixture and stir every 5 minutes until it reaches the consistency you want.
Put the lid back on the pot, turn off the heat, and allow this to sit for 30 minutes to slightly cool. Then, it is time to put it in a glass container to keep and serve guests. Serve the glyko at room temperature or cool, not warm. Typically, glyko tou koutaliou (spoon sweet) is served with a glass of cold water.
"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
For this recipe, you will need the following:
2 cups quince, peeled and chopped or grated
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
a few (5) cloves (optional)
a squeeze of lemon juice
Start by cleaning the quince. You have to peel the skin, then core the fruit. The centre core is hard, hollow, and never looks good. Make sure you take away the residual white skin that surrounds the middle seeds. This will get very hard when cooked and can ruin the overall soft texture. When chopping the quince, cut it into pieces that you like. Often, people will grate the fruit on a box grater or with a food processor. We like the larger chunks and find them more satisfying when enjoying a spoon sweet, so we gave our quince a rough chop.
In a pot, put the drained quince and the sugar. Then, pour the water over the sugar and mix it up until the sugar is somewhat dissolved.
Add the cloves. We chose cloves to enhance the overall flavour. You can use vanilla, or lemon zest, or something else. We have seen recipes that use masticha or geranium leaves. But, cloves are something that most people have on hand, and are easy to pick out in the end. We have also tried putting the cloves in a tea strainer and allowing that to sit in the pot. You have to make sure that he tea strainer is fully submerged in the water, and that can be difficult sometimes. So, add the enhancing flavour and mix everything together.
Now, turn the heat on a medium high and bring this mixture to a boil. This will take a few minutes. Allow it to boil for about 10 minutes. You will see the fruit start to change colour and it will look softer than where it started.
After ten minutes of boiling, turn the heat down to a simmer, and put a lid on the pot. You are going to keep in all that moisture, flavour, and heat. Allow the mixture to simmer for 30 minutes. Stir it occasionally to make sure the heat is evenly distributed.
As you check the mixture and you are stirring, you will notice that the syrup (sugar and water) will thicken. You want to cook this long enough to have the consistency similar to that of thick honey. It may take longer than 30 minutes, depending on your stove and the type of pot used. Continue to check the mixture and stir every 5 minutes until it reaches the consistency you want.
Put the lid back on the pot, turn off the heat, and allow this to sit for 30 minutes to slightly cool. Then, it is time to put it in a glass container to keep and serve guests. Serve the glyko at room temperature or cool, not warm. Typically, glyko tou koutaliou (spoon sweet) is served with a glass of cold water.
"Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones."
Proverbs: 16:24
No comments:
Post a Comment