French Quince Paste (Pâte de Coing)
This recipe is wonderfully simple. All you need are quinces, sugar, a little water, and some patience. The trick is to weigh the cooked quince purée and add sugar according to its weight, so you can make as much or as little as you like.
Ingredients
- 1 kg whole quinces
- 200 ml water plus a little more if needed
- 800 g granulated sugar, equal to 80% of the weight of the cooked, drained quince purée (For example, if you obtain 600 g of quince purée, you'll need 480 g of sugar).
Instructions
- Wash the quinces, rubbing away their soft fuzz, and cut them into quarters without peeling or coring them. They can be surprisingly hard, so take care. Place in a saucepan with the water, cover, and simmer for 30–45 minutes, until completely tender. Add a little water if necessary.
- Drain the quinces for 15–20 minutes. Once cool enough to handle, remove the peel, cores, seeds, and any hard pieces. Blend the flesh until smooth, or pass it through a food mill.
- Weigh the purée and add 80% of its weight in granulated sugar. For example, 1 kg of purée will need 800 g of sugar. Mix together in a wide, heavy-bottomed saucepan.
- Cook over medium-low heat for approximately 25–45 minutes, stirring frequently, then almost constantly as the mixture thickens. The paste will gradually turn a beautiful coppery orange. It's ready when it pulls away from the sides of the pan and a spatula drawn across the bottom leaves a clear trail that doesn't immediately close. Be careful of hot splashes.
- Pour into a shallow dish lined with parchment paper and spread to a thickness of 1–1.5 cm. Leave to cool, then cover and refrigerate until firm, preferably overnight. Cut into small squares or diamonds. The paste should hold its shape while remaining tender inside. I prefer not to roll the pieces in sugar; the quince has such a lovely flavor on its own.