Some people count their blessings. This fall, we counted quince. SEVENTY OF THEM!
And after two weeks of picking, ripening, refrigerating, baking, cooking, and puréeing, I’m happy to report we’ve officially conquered the quince harvest of 2026! Well, almost. We still have to EAT it all!
About eight years ago, Steve spotted a quince tree at One Green World here in Portland and decided we absolutely had to have it. I wasn’t quite as convinced with our lack of full sun, but I’m so glad he insisted!
The Aromatnaya Quince (Cydonia oblonga) – the one we chose- is a rare and unique Russian heirloom variety, highly prized for being one of the few quinces sweet and mild enough to be eaten straight off the tree ….. sliced paper-thin with cheese and cured meats.
Our tree has become a powerhouse producer, even in part shade. Every spring it rewards us with beautiful blossoms, followed by fuzzy little fruits that spend the summer growing into fragrant golden treasures.
Quintessential quince • A fragrance and flavor entirely its own.
Quince is an old-fashioned fruit related to apples and pears. Generally too hard and tart to enjoy raw, it undergoes a magical transformation when cooked. The flesh softens, the flavor blossoms, and with longer cooking it can turn a gorgeous ruby red.
And the FRAGRANCE! Even before cooking, our garage smelled like a tropical fruit market had moved into a flower garden.
Imagine a delicious fusion of pear, apple, pineapple, mango, and citrus, with fragrant notes of freesia and jasmine floating through it all. And yet, none of those comparisons quite captures it.
It’s quintessential quince. A fragrance and flavor entirely its own. No scented candle could ever do it justice….no perfume could come close!
The Great Quince Migration
Steve got out the ladder and picked our bounty of quince about two weeks ago and let them finish ripening in the garage. Then came the question: What on earth were we going to do with all of them?
As many as possible were relocated to the garage refrigerator while we worked out our plan of attack.
Last week, Steve and I tackled our favorite quince paste. Rather than babysitting a bubbling pot for hours, we baked the fruit first, removed the cores, and let the slow cooker do the heavy lifting.
Eight beautiful jars later, we had something softer than our usual firm quince paste, but absolutely delicious. More like a very thick, luxurious jam.
I’m already imagining it on toasted English muffins with creamy goat cheese. Breakfast heaven!
When Life gives you Quince Jelly
Over the weekend, I sacrificed five more quince to a cocktail experiment. The plan was to create a fragrant simple syrup infused with ginger and cardamom for our favorite Old Fashioned cocktail.
What I hadn’t quite accounted for was quince’s extraordinary natural pectin. Once cooled, our lovely syrup decided it would rather be JELLY!
No complaints here. It tastes amazing, and a spoonful muddled into bourbon before adding ice works beautifully. So far our best Old Fashioneds YET. There are those times when the best kitchen discoveries are the ones you never intended to make!
FORTY CUPS LATER! THE GRAND FINALE!
The remaining quince went into the oven for about two hours until beautifully soft. Once cooled, they were easy to core and deseed, and my food processor turned the cooked fruit into a silky purée, much like fine applesauce. No sugar. No spices. Nothing added.
FORTY CUPS OF PURE QUINCE! Yes, forty.
It’s all packed into pint and half-pint freezer-safe jars and headed for the freezer, where it will occupy a rather impressive amount of valuable real estate!
Because this is pure quince with no added sugar or acid and hasn’t been prepared using a tested canning recipe, we’re freezing it rather than attempting shelf-stable home canning. And the beauty of having all that unadulterated quince? We can turn it into almost anything whenever inspiration strikes!
So What DO You Do With Forty Cups of Quince? Oh let me count the ways!
- Quince paste on demand! I’ve discovered an amazing small-batch air fryer method that produces dense, gorgeous ruby-red paste without hours of stirring.
- Fruit leather. A little sweetener and time in the dehydrator make wonderful fruit roll-ups, thanks to all that natural pectin.
- Savory glazes. Incredible with roast pork, chicken, turkey, fish, or shrimp. Add ginger, mustard, citrus, or warm spices.
- Baking adventures. Pies, turnovers, rustic galettes, tarts, thumbprint cookies, muffins, scones, and quick breads.
- Breakfast treats. Swirled into yogurt, spooned over oatmeal, tucked into crêpes, or spread on toast.
- Cheese boards and beyond. A natural companion to Manchego, Brie, aged cheddar, and goat cheese. And let’s not forget chutneys, barbecue sauces, and salad dressings!
And that’s just the beginning!
The Sweet Smell of Success…and Excess!
I admit, there were moments when I wondered whether we’d ever get through this year’s harvest. But we did it. Every last quince!
From the first spring blossoms to the golden fruit hanging among the leaves, and finally to a kitchen filled with extraordinary fragrance, this little tree has given us another wonderful season to remember.
Steve certainly knew what he was doing when he insisted we bring it home eight years ago.
Seventy quince, forty cups of purée, and one VERY full freezer later, I think we’ve discovered the true meaning of abundance. Some might call it excessive. We call it QUINTESSENTIAL QUINCE!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I believe there’s a Quince muffin and some goat cheese calling my name and I promised Ihana a taste of the cheese!.
Savor the Journey!
DOG IN THE KITCHEN™
