This aromatic fruit is a specialty item. It remains popular in many Latin American countries.
Quince resembles a large, lumpy yellow pear. A characteristic common to all, however, is a strong fragrance. Aromatic, each variety gives off a little different musky-wild tropical-like perfume.
Developing a rich flavor when slowly cooked, quince turns a pale apricot color to a carnelian hue.
Rich in fiber, quince provides a moderate amount of vitamin C and potassium. Four ounces of raw fruit contains about 65 calories.
With a high pectin content, quince is ideal for jam, jelly, conserves, and candy. Poach quince in wine and vanilla beans. Cook down with sugar until solidified; serve paste, or membrillo, with Spanish cheese such as manchego. Cook with other fall fruits, such as apples or pears, and reduce into compote, or add to spiced cake batter. Add cooked quince to ice cream custard. Quince is also used in savory preparations, added to beef and lamb stews, or served, cooked slowly, alongside roasts. For longer storage, wrap fruit individually in a double layer of plastic; refrigerate. Place it where it won't be bruised.
This fruit plays a worldwide confectionary role in Moroccan, Persian, Romanian and Balkan cuisine. Adding quince to meaty stews, the fruit is often a customary accompaniment to roasts. Referred to as "melimelum" by the Romans, this Greek name means "honey apple" because the fruit was preserved in honey for jam. The Portuguese called it "marmelo", a corruption of the word melimelum and enjoy their "marmelado", a favored quince confection. The Greek name "cydonia" became "cotogna" in Italian and "coing" in French. Chaucer wrote of "coines", a word that later became "quince". The British love its bold taste in tarts and pies.
Believed to be native to Iran, its botanical name, Cydonia oblonga, is derived from an area of Crete. Quince cultivation spread to South East Europe and to the Levant even before the apple took root. Around 1000 B.C., researchers say Palestine was familiar with quince and the "apples" mentioned in the Song of Solomon were possibly quinces. The small, twisted quince tree bears fruit of several forms varying in size, color and shape.
Grows happily in the SA climate
5 seeds per pack. All growing instructions included
