Odivelas White Quince Paste — Historic Formula in the PGI Specification
The official PGI specification transcribes the formula preserved in O Livro de Receitas da Última Freira de Odivelas: 480 g quince paste to 960 g sugar cooked to the high stage. This page executes that ratio within the current sequence also published in the specification—preparing the purée, syrup, mixing, setting and at least seven days of drying. Syrup water is shown as a transparent scaling of the PGI average of 250 ml per kilogram of sugar; it was not part of the historic transcription.
- Yields
- Not stated; the formula starts with 480 g purée and 960 g sugar but loses water during cooking and drying
- Prep
- Not stated; selection, peeling, puréeing, weighing, moulding and cutting have no published duration
- Cook
- Not stated; depends on cooking the fruit and reaching the syrup’s high stage, neither with a published duration
- Total time
- At least 8 days and 2 hours of setting and drying, plus unstated preparation, cooking and cooling time
Ingredients
- Raw fruit weight not stated Quinces at a suitable stage of ripeness, enough to obtain 480 g cooked purée
- 960 g / 33.9 oz White sugar
- About 240 ml / 8.1 fl oz, scaled from the PGI average of 250 ml per 1 kg sugar Water for the syrup
- as needed; amounts not stated Cold water for holding and cooking the quince
- A few drops; amount not stated Lemon juice for the cold water
- as needed for lining and drying Baking parchment
Method
Select and wash the quinces. Peel them, remove cores, seeds, ends and damaged areas, and immediately place the flesh in a container of cold water with a few drops of lemon juice.
Transfer the flesh to a pan with water and cook over high heat only until cooked but not falling apart. Remove the flesh from the water, then blend or pass it through a sieve to make a uniform purée. The source gives no duration, water quantity or draining procedure.
Weigh exactly 480 g / 16.9 oz cooked purée. Reserve it while preparing the syrup.
Put the 960 g / 33.9 oz sugar and about 240 ml / 8.1 fl oz water in a stable, deep pan. Cook to the ‘high sugar’ or hard-ball stage defined in the specification: a drop placed in water sets into a mass. The source says producers assess this stage empirically and publishes no temperature or duration.
Once the stage is reached, beat the syrup vigorously in both directions for a few minutes, as directed by the current PGI method.
Take the pan off the heat and add the 480 g / 16.9 oz purée, breaking it up and mixing vigorously in both directions. Return to the heat only until it comes back to the boil or forms bubbles, then remove immediately.
Pour the mixture while still hot into food-safe trays or containers lined with baking parchment. If using a tray for cut pieces, leave it to set for at least one day.
Turn out onto fresh baking parchment and leave to set again for at least two hours. Cut into the desired shapes.
Air-dry in a dry environment for at least seven days, until a crust forms that allows the quince paste to be handled with the fingers.
Sources for this recipe
The quantities and method were checked against the references below. Family recipes may vary; where no single official formula exists, we present a representative practical version and say so plainly.
Read the editorial policy →
