Sugared Quince

Quince & Sugar

Quince, a small, fruit-bearing deciduous tree, is most prevalently cultivated and used in southeastern Europe and central Asia; it can be found in forests, on shores of overgrown lakes, in ravines, and in the lower levels of mountain ranges. It can grow between 1.5 and 8 meters tall, although dwarf varieties are becoming increasingly popular as they are easier to manage and provide more than enough yield for a homesteader or small farmer. Quince produces large, round flowers from May through June, and fruit is ripe for picking in the fall, sometime from September until mid-november. The fruit is most commonly used in the kitchen, but all parts of the plant can be used medicinally: leaves should be harvested in June-July and dried in 40-50 degrees, while seeds should be air dried. Leaves have approximately a one year shelf life. 

Quince growing at the dacha

The golden fruit resembles an apple or a pear, but has a sour, astringent taste. The fruit has diuretic, antibacterial, anti-allergenic, and anti-inflammatory properties, and is most commonly used in folk medicine to treat tuberculosis, bronchial asthma and other respiratory conditions including a common cough and inflamed throat. In addition, it can help treat skin conditions (including burns), ulcers, as well as alleviate symptoms of nausea, diarrhea, and colitis.

Quince contains an extraordinary amount of Vitamin C, making it an incredible immune booster - because of this, the autumnal harvest time is perfect for preventing winter sickness. In addition, quince contains high amounts of tannins (responsible for it's astringency) and is a good source of fiber, copper, iron, magnesium, and  B vitamins. 

seeds drying on windowsill

The seeds of the fruit possess powerful demulcent properties and are commonly used in cough remedies. In order to make a tea for cough, boil 10 grams of shredded / chopped seeds in one glass of hot water  for about 20 minutes, then let cool (another ten minutes). Strain through a cheesecloth and take 1/3 - 1/2 glass three times a day before meals. Seeds can be saved for planting (and sharing) by drying in newspaper, spread in a thin layer.

The fruit, whose flavor distinctly resembles lemon, can be made into jelly or jam (or added to apple butter for sour twist - they are harvested at the same time), a syrup, or just chopped and mixed with sugar, and preserved. This mixture can be added to tea instead of lemon and sugar, spread onto toast, or just eaten by the spoonful. It can also be frozen into ice cubes and dropped into iced tea.  The preparation can be time consuming, but the results are worth it. The first step is to remove the seeds - to do this, cut each fruit into half or quarter pieces. The fruit can be tough, so this can take a long time. Afterwards, take the fleshy part of the fruit and chop in fruit process or blender. It should look something like this:

chopped quince

Afterward, add an equal amount of sugar and allow the mixture to sit overnight. Once ready, it can be canned (preserved) or frozen - it should be stored in the fridge if kept for immediate use. Enjoy!