Quince Jelly (Carne de Membrillo)

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   Preparing the quince is rather hard work.

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   So, I recommend making no more than about 3 kg of fruit at a time.

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   That should be about 5 kg before peeling.

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   Wash the quince well.

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   Rub the fine downy fuzz off of the surface.

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   To prepare the quince: Put the quince and water in a large pot.

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   Bring to a boil and cook the quince until they are tender.

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   Note: It's best to immerse the quince completely in water.

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   I had too many fruit in the photo, so I boiled them with the lid on, and shifted the fruit on top around to cook them through.

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    Take the fruit out of the hot water and let them cool down.

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    Peel them and remove the stem ends.

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    Roughly chop up the fruit and place them in another pot or in a storage container.

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    (You don't have to peel the quince in advance.

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    If you boil the quince until they are falling apart, then the skin and the outer part of the flesh can be removed together.)

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    When the fruit has been processed, weigh it out.

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    Calculate 40% of that weight and that will be the amount of sugar to use.

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    (You can increase or decrease the amount to taste.)

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    Mash the fruit using a hand-held blender or similar device.

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    Put the mashed fruit in a pot.

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    Note: If there's a lot of fruit, it can be difficult to work with, so I recommend mashing it up in the pot first.

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    If you can mash it about 80% of the way, by the time it simmers and reduces it should have just the right consistency.

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    Add the lemon juice and sugar to the pot, and start cooking over low-medium heat.

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    Simmer and reduce slowly while mixing.

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    Be careful not to burn yourself.

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    You may get burned if the contents of the pot splatter, so don't leave the pot unattended for too long.

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    Stir while simmering and reduce it over low-medium heat.

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    Note: If you see any impurities while you're simmering the pulp, remove them with a spoon.

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    While you're simmering the pulp, spread a sheet of parchment paper on a flat container (such as an oven baking tray), lining it right up to the edges.

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    When the pulp turns orange, remove from heat.

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    Pour the pulp into the prepared tray.

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    Be careful not to burn yourself.

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    I cooked 3.5 kg of fruit (after peeling) for a bit more than 2 hours.

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    As shown in the Step 11 photo, the volume has reduced by about 10%.

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    Note: This version doesn't have a lot of sugar, so it won't turn brown like commercially sold quince jelly.

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    Dry the jelly in a cool location out of direct sunlight.

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    (If you use 40% sugar, this takes 5 days to a week.)

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    Slice into pieces.

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    Wrap each piece in plastic.

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    Freeze to store for a long period.

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    Refrigerate any pieces you're going to eat it right away.

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    Note: The top surface should be firm and the bottom surface still soft right after you finish drying.

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    If you wrap the pieces up and store them with the firm side down, the texture will gradually even out.

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    Note: Of course, you can flip them over, peel off the paper and dry the other side too.

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    You can dry the fruit even further to turn it into a moist dried-fruit type dessert.

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    Note: The step-by-step photos show 3.5 kg worth of fruit pulp.

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    I had 7 kg of fruit pulp in the Step 1 photo, so that may give you an idea of the total weight.

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    Slice thinly and serve with fresh (un-aged) cheese or on bread.

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    You can also serve it on its own, of course.

No additional tips available.