Traditional Portuguese Quince Paste
This traditional method turns ripe quinces and sugar into a fragrant, firm red paste. The final cooking needs attention: the marmelada is ready when it pulls away from the pan and holds the trail left by the spoon.
- Yields
- 3–4 shallow bowls (about 1 kg)
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- About 1 hr
Ingredients
- 1.2 kg Ripe quinces
- 750 g Sugar
- enough for cooking Water
Method
Wash and scrub the quinces well to remove their down. Quarter them, remove the cores and any damaged areas, then cut the flesh into pieces; the peel may be left on.
Put the pieces in a pan, just cover with water and cook until very tender, about 20–30 minutes.
Drain, reserving about 100 ml of the cooking water. Blend the quince to a completely smooth purée.
Return the purée to the pan, add the sugar and reserved water, and stir. Set over low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Cook gently for 25–35 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon and protecting your hands from splashes. The purée will darken, thicken and begin to pull away from the bottom.
Test the setting point by drawing the spoon across the bottom: the trail should stay open for a few seconds. Immediately spoon into clean shallow bowls and smooth the surface.
Leave to cool completely. Cover with baking parchment and, for a firmer paste, let it dry for 5–7 days in a cool, dry, protected place. Refrigerate afterwards.