Quince Paste (Membrillo)
Skin-on quince paste for serving with cheese, crackers and bread. Make it entirely on the stovetop, or use the Instant Pot to soften the fruit and a slow cooker to reduce the purée.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg whole quinces skins left on, cores and seeds removed
- Granulated sugar equal to the weight of the cooked drained purée; have approximately 1.5 kg available
- 30 ml lemon juice 2 tbsp
- Water as required for the chosen softening method
- A little neutral oil for greasing the moulds
Instructions
- Prepare the fruit. Wash the quinces and rub off any fuzz. Remove the cores, seeds and hard surrounding tissue, leaving the skins on. Trim as needed and cut into approximately 2 cm pieces.
Soften using either method.
- Stovetop: Add to a saucepan with water just to cover. Bring to a gentle simmer, partially cover and cook for approximately 30–45 minutes, until the flesh and skins crush easily. Start checking after 25 minutes.
- Instant Pot: Add the fruit and your model’s minimum required water quantity. Cook on High Pressure for 10 minutes, allow 10 minutes natural release, then carefully release the remaining pressure. Check that the fruit is completely tender.
- Drain and blend. Drain in a sieve for five minutes, reserving the liquid. Blend until smooth, adding a little reserved liquid only if necessary. Sieve for a finer texture if desired.
- Weigh and add sugar. Weigh the purée transferred into the reduction pot. Add the same weight of granulated sugar and the lemon juice. Stir thoroughly.
Reduce using either method.
- Stovetop: Heat gently in a wide, heavy-based saucepan until the sugar dissolves. Simmer uncovered for approximately 60–120 minutes or longer. Stir frequently, scraping the base and corners, then almost continuously as it thickens. Lower the heat as needed.
- Slow cooker: Cook at 85°C with the lid off throughout, if permitted by your appliance. My batch took five hours to reach a setting texture. Stir regularly, scraping the base and sides, and more frequently towards the end.
- Check readiness. The paste should hold a mound and leave a spatula track across the base for several seconds. Cool a small sample thoroughly on a chilled plate: it should hold together as a soft piece rather than spread. Continue reducing if necessary.
- Fill the moulds. Lightly oil silicone moulds and place on a tray, or line a shallow heatproof container with lightly greased baking parchment. Spoon in the paste approximately 2–3 cm deep and smooth the tops.
- Cool promptly, cover and refrigerate overnight. Check after 24 hours, allowing up to 48 hours if needed. Unmould once firm.
- Wrap individual portions in cling film and refrigerate in an airtight container. Freeze surplus portions in a freezer-safe container or bag.
Notes
Sugar ratio: Use 1 g sugar for every 1 g cooked, drained purée. For example, 1,200 g purée requires 1,200 g sugar.
Pressure-cooking water: Follow your model’s minimum liquid requirement, even for a smaller batch.
Cooking times: The tested pressure-cooking stage was 10 minutes at High Pressure plus 10 minutes natural release. The tested slow-cooker reduction was five hours at 85°C, with the lid off throughout. Stovetop timings are estimates.
Setting: Judge by a cooled sample as well as the consistency in the pot. Colour alone does not confirm readiness.
Yield: Weigh the finished batch for an accurate yield and portion count.
Storage: Refrigerate or freeze. This recipe is not validated for room-temperature storage.