Ancient Romans gave quinces to their lovers as a sign of commitment. Greeks believed quince to be a gift from Aphrodite, the goddess of love. Some scholars believe that quince was the original “apple” in the Garden of Eden.
This romantic fruit, however, is not a pushover. It requires tender handling to be palatable. If eaten raw it will leave a bad taste in the mouth. Only heating will coax the apple-shaped golden orb to be sweet with an alluring rose-like aroma. And it will shift shade from pale yellow to a warm rose or amber.
“A quince is a firm, astringent, but very aromatic tree fruit which has some of the qualities of its relatives, pear and apple,” says Nikol Nakumura, pastry chef at Tulalip Resort Casino. “It is very high in pectin and not typically eaten raw due to its high tannin levels. To balance the tannin levels quince must be cooked.”
Cooks have long embraced the high natural pectin of quince, putting it to work as a thickening agent for apple pie, apple sauce, tarts, preserves and crafting it into a gelled paste as an accompaniment for cheeses.
Now is the end of the season for this romantic fruit. It is generally only available October through the year’s end.
“It is an under-appreciated fruit but is highlighted in this yummy seasonal dessert,” Nakumura says. “Dependant on your personal texture preference the quince can be left chopped or broken down more in a food processor for a more jammy consistency.”
Caramelized Quince Ice Cream
Ingredients
1 1/2 cup quince, peeled, cored and chopped
6 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons butter
1 vanilla bean, scraped from pod
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg, freshly grated
3 ounces pineapple juice
Store bought, quality vanilla bean
1 quart ice cream, softened
Instructions
1. In a large sauté pan heat sugar, butter, vanilla bean and nutmeg until golden caramel color. Add chopped quince and cook, stirring frequently, until fork tender.
2. Add pineapple juice gradually to loosen caramel and to deglaze mixture. Cool completely.
3. In a mixing bowl fold in quince mixture to the softened vanilla ice cream. Store in a sealed plastic container to re-freeze solid and serve.
Recipe by Chef Nikol Nakumura, Tulalip Resort Casino
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