Quince Preserve

Rub the quinces to remove the fuzziness from their skins. Without peeling it, cut up the fruit (leaving the pips in) and place in a large saucepan. Add the water and boil the fruit until it is very soft – this should take about an hour.

Remove the quince from the saucepan, reserving the cooking liquid. Allow the fruit to cool completely, then cut out and remove the pips and the hard bits surrounding them.
Transfer the quince flesh to a food processor, add the reserved cooking liquid and whiz to form a purée – this should give you about 7 cups of fruit purée.

Pour the quince purée into a large, heavy-bottomed preserving pan and add the sugar. Heat the mixture gently and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Boil for approximately 1 hour, stirring from time to time to ensure that the mixture does not burn.

After an hour of cooking, the mixture should start thickening and now needs your vigilance as it can burn easily at this stage. Continue to stir the preserve frequently and add the lemon juice after a further 30 minutes.

Keep stirring until the mixture is very thick and erupts in large bubbles. Pour the preserve into a silicone mould or moulds, then leave for 24 hours to set completely.
Pop the preserve out of the mould/s, then cover lightly with a cloth and allow to dry out for another 24 hours before storing.
This recipe was created by Mariana Esterhuizen is the owner-chef of Marianas Home Deli and Bistro in Stanford. You can call her on (028) 341-0272 if you have any queries about this recipe.