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<< Previous   of   Next >>   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Melanie Munk, Features Editor munk@heraldnet.com   Published: Monday, July 21, 2008 The Forum: Uses for quince, if you find quince By Judyrae Kruse Herald Columnist Judging from the whopping windfall of quince spreads readers have sent along, Dean Tuininga touched a lot of Forum hearts when he recently asked if anybody could help him to recreate his mom's wonderful "uniquely flavored'' quince jam, now so fondly remembered from his childhood. Longtime Forum helper-outer Middy Ruthruff of Snohomish starts us off today, sharing a treasured, time-honored concoction called quince honey. She tells us, "I copied this from my grandmother's old cook book,'' and adds, "My mom used to make quince jelly whenever the plant produced fruit.'' Next, two Arlington cooks, Pat Wehmeyer and Jean Kroeze, ante up with identical recipes for a quince marmalade. Pat says, "Dean Tuininga may want to try this recipe I got from a 1941 copy of the 'Kerr Home Canning Book.''' And Jean offers a timely thought for those of us who are quince bushless. "There may be a problem even finding quince these days,'' she warns. Since I suspect Jean is all too right about that, and since I also feel pretty sure there will now be quite a demand around here for this probably hard-to-find fruit, if anyone knows of a local source, please write to Judyrae Kruse at the Forum, c/o The Herald, P.O. Box 930, Everett, WA 98206. Please remember that all letters and e-mail must include a name, complete address with ZIP code and telephone number with area code. No exceptions and sorry, but no response to e-mail by return e-mail; send to kruse@heraldnet.com. QUINCE HONEY 3 large ripe quince 1 cup boiling water 4 pounds sugar Grated rind of 1 orange or 1 lemon or both Pare and grate quince into a large, heavy saucepan or kettle. Combine with water, sugar and grated rind of orange or lemon or both. Bring to a boil, stir well and bring to a rolling boil. Boil 5 minutes, remove from heat, skim and ladle immediately into hot half-pint jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner half-full of simmering water. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover, bring water to gentle boil. Process 15 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary. Makes about 2 quarts, 16 half-pints. 1941 QUINCE MARMALADE Peel and quarter equal portions of quince and apple, barely cover with water and cook until tender. Remove from the fire, chopping as fine as possible. Do not pour water off as they cook down low. Use 3/4 cup sugar to 1 cup fruit and cook until thick. A little nutmeg or any flavoring may be added. Pour immediately into hot half-pint jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner half-full of simmering water. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 15 minutes. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary. Bits and pieces: When L. Rachel Sacks-Bowen of Everett sent along a recipe for quince jam, she also included this information she found at www.wisegeek.com: @1. a BODY STYLES:"A quince is a fruit resembling a pear that was first cultivated in the Middle East. In fact, the proverbial apple offered to Adam by Eve may actually be more accurately translated as a quince. "Once ripened, the yellowish fruit still has a hard exterior, much like a winter squash. If one is not using quinces immediately, cooking guides recommend storing them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The seeds are poisonous and should be discarded. The core of the quince is very hard, but using a sharp paring knife will divest the quince of both the unusable core and the dangerous seeds. "Though the interior of the quince is white when raw, cooking will turn the flesh a deep red. Quinces, like apples, contain a lot of pectin, so they are frequently used for jams and jellies." The next Forum will appear in Wednesday's Good Life section.

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