Any Cheese maker worth his salt should be able to whip up a few accompaniments for their cheese, so I gave it a go.
I read somewhere that Quince paste was a really good complimentary flavour that goes with most cheeses. Having never tried it before, it was a bit of a gamble, but one that paid off in the end. The flavour is sensational, and I would recommend this fruit paste to anyone who is wondering what to do with a few spare quinces.
I found a recipe from Taste.com.au and followed it exactly. It worked fine, except that I added a full cup of water at the start because it looked like it was going to boil dry! Pretty easy process. Peel, core, chop, then stew. After the chopped up quinces turned to mush, I blended them in the food processs whilst hot and then returned the fruit to the pot and added the sugar.
So that I could capture the long 3.5 hour process, I took photos at 15 minute intervals.
Time lapse of Quince Paste process
I just love the way it changes colour during the cooking process.
Then I lined 6 ramekins with plastic wrap and ladled in the paste, and when it cooled a little, we folded over the wrap to protect it as it set.
I left them on the kitchen counter overnight and we had some for lunch with a piece of ash coated brie and castello white cheese. Unfortunately, these are not my creations, but will be getting stuck into cheesemaking next week.
The taste was great and it really brought out the flavour of the cheese. A great accompaniments indeed. Not quite sure how to store it, but we have it in a sealed container in the fridge. Hopefully it will store for a while, at least until I get a Caerphilly made and ripened! I can just taste the sweet and salty together, yummy.
Can anyone help and and let me know if I can freeze Quince Paste? Comments welcome.
I see no reason why you can’t Gavin, I made a lot of quince paste a couple of years ago, but I made big slabs of it in swiss roll tins, left it to set overnight, then put it in my dehydrator for a couple of hours, then stored it in the fridge, just eating the last of it now. There was a bit of crystallisation on the surface but other than that it was (and still is) fine.
We wrap our quince paste in foil and leave it in an airtight container in the pantry. The amount of sugar in the paste is enough to act as a preserving agent. So far we’ve eaten all the paste before we’ve had any problems with it, but it has lasted up to maybe three months.
Karen
Looks like it all worked out fabulously, Gavin! I have never heard of it going off or mouldy and as long as you put the sugar in, it should keep as long as you can resist eating it!!
Not familiar with the quince you eat. Only the red flowering quince in my yard where the Mockingbirds build their nest.
Hi Gavin, good job on the quince paste! I’ve been making big batches for the last couple of years and store it wrapped in glad wrap in a sealed container in the fridge. It lasted all year because I made so much! I reckon yours won’t last long enough to worry about it…
Yes I have frozen it, in slabs wrapped in freezer paper. Doesn’t seem to change it at all. (Small cubes dipped in dark chocolate are to die for as well ;-))
Oh I remember this in mexico – it went superbly with a type of cheese they had there called queso fresco – a very mild slightly soft cheese. You purchased it in tins there – you might try preserving some in a sterilized jam jar.
Hi Gavin, I haven’t made quince paste for 2 years as I still have some in the fridge. What I did was to purchase some small (about half a cup size) lidded plastic containers used in takeaway shops. They were inexpensive, $16 for 50. I keep them in the fridge. They’re handy to give away to friends and make it look so professionally done !!
Like some of the others I don’t think you need to freeze this Gavin, the sugar content is very high so it should act as preservative. However you do store it, expel as much air as possible and wrap in several layers. Or do you know someone who has a vacuum sealer?
Maggie Beer’s quince paste, which has no nasty additives, is sold in a tiny vacuum sealed pack.
That looks so good! Love it with cheese and it’s one of those things that costs a lot (at least here) yet is so easy to make at home for a whole lot less. Yes you can freeze it – we make ours as one big slab, pour it into a grease paper lined tin and freeze for a few hours, cut into smaller bits then wrap in foil or plastic and store in an airtight container in the freezer. I’ve just finished the lot from last year so can attest it lasts at least that long! Only takes a few minutes to come back to room temp before serving but doesn’t set hard so can be used straight from freezer if need be.
Gavin, I used to work for Maggie Beer Products, which Rose mentioned above. The pastes were in little plastic pots with lids for retail, and for bulk for restaurants it was packed in cryovac bags. All pastes made when I was there had two year shelf stable best before dates, so I’d be surprised if yours didn’t last quite a while without being refridgerated.
Hi Gavin,
I make quince paste, plum paste, shiraz grape paste, pear paste (pear and cracked black pepper paste) – all sorts of pastes.
I form them in non-stick mini muffin tins lightly sprayed with extra light olive oil spray.
Leave them in the oven with just the warming light on for 3-4 days to dry out the surface.
Remove from trays and store in plastic takeaway food type containers lined with baking paper. In deep containers I do multiple layers just separating them with baking paper. They go into my preserves cupboard in the laundry and I’ve kept them for as long as three years with no mould problems and no deterioration in flavour.
Admittedly I live in cold high country. Winter temperatures in the laundry get down to -6C and a hot Summer day would be struggling to get over 24C. (South side of the house).
To send overseas to friends as gifts I cryovac them, putting them on sheets of baking paper and covering them with baking paper before putting them in the cryovac bags.
I first met quince paste in Spain (more years ago than I care to remember) teamed with Manchego cheese. Manchego is on my list of cheeses to master – but today it’s going to be another batch of brie and camembert for my cheese co-op.
I’m so pleased you’ve discovered cooking with quince. You didn’t mention the incredible aroma that wafts through your home as it cooks. I love quince paste or jelly with blue cheese.
And do try blue cheese with a moist, cakey/loaf style gingerbead (and a dollop of quince paste too.
It is so good that you have recovered so well and that Teddy seems to have settled in well. Sending care and huggles to you all,
Michelle and a purr/snoozling Zebby cat
You can preserve your quince “paste” in canning jars with a hot water bath process, just like jams and jellies. Keeps for at least a year.
Just about make some this week so this is all timely info. I just made up a batch of of apple and quince butter (was going to be jam but…) with allspice and fresh ginger – sensational!!
Cheers
MOC
I’ve just made some quince paste (for the second time) and have set it in a non-stick flan tin, lined with Glad Bake paper. I didn’t grease the paper beforehand so am hoping it comes away from the paste when it’s dried. I also put a little in two glass ramekin dishes to see how they turn out. Fingers crossed. I have reservations about using plastic wrap in contact with the hot paste (not sure if there can be any sort of leaching from the plastic) so would prefer not to go that route.
Cheers
Susana
Thanks for this, I just made 4 jars and one tray as my tree was laden. Can’t wait for a nice cheese to have with it.
You’re welcome.
Gav
We have had some between baking paper in the fridge for months (done in muffin trays) but it now has sugar crystalising on the surface. It doesn’t seem right – any clues?
Hi Mac. I find that this is normal when freezing Quince Paste. Just cut off the skin and the paste is ready to serve! No affect to the taste whatsoever.
Gav
I made some quince paste a couple of weeks ago using Julie Goodwin’s slow cooker recipe (see Internet) and it was a no mess breeze!
Just picked 5kg quinces so looking for recipes again. I last made quince paste 3 years ago & am STILL eating that batch!! Wrapped in gladwrap in the fridge drawer it has a phenomenally long shelf life 🙂