Quince Paste

Wash the quince and peel them, reserving the peels. Remove the cores and add them to the peels. Chop the fruit into 2-inch chunks. Tie the peels and cores up in some cheesecloth.

Place the bundle in a large pot with the quince chinks. Add the chunks of quince and the bundle of peels and cores into a large pot. Add water so that the fruit is covered by 1 inch. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once the mixture starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 1 to 1 ½ hours until the quince chunks are soft and mushy.

Remove the peels and cores from the quince and discard them.

Line a colander with cheesecloth. Place the cooked quince in the colander and leave to strain for about 2 hours.

Blend the strained quince in a food processor until you have a smooth puree. Weigh the quince puree and place it in a large pot. Add an equal amount of granulated sugar.

Place the pot over low heat and cook for about 1 ½ hours until very thick. You will need to stir the mixture constantly at first to dissolve the sugar and occasionally after that.

Switch on the oven to the lowest setting (125 °F). Lightly grease or line with parchment paper a 9 inch baking dish . Place the quince paste in the dish and spread it out evenly. Ensure the surface is smooth by leveling it with the back of a spoon. Aim for about a 1 ½ inch thick slab. Leave the paste to cool in the baking dish.

Place the quince paste in the oven for 8 hours or overnight. The surface should be glossy and not sticky to the touch. Remove it from the oven and once cool, place it in the oven for 4 hours.

Once the paste is dry, turn it out of the baking dish onto a plate or a parchment paper. Cut into servings (I usually make matchbox size rectangles) and wrap each individually. Store in the refrigerator for 3 months.

Serve with a Spanish hard cheese like Manchego or with your favourite cheese.