A simple recipe and guide for how to cook quince. Fragrant, infused with spices, and tender once cooked, poached quince is a delicious treat to enjoy on its own, serve with yogurt or ice cream, or spoon on top of pancakes or waffles. Quince season generally runs from September to December. They can be hard to find, but can often be available at speciality supermarkets or farmer's markets in season. Look for large, mostly yellow (with minimal green) quince that are very firm and hard even when ripe. Store at room temperature, if using soon, or wrapped loosely in plastic in the refrigerator for up to two months.
Make the Parchment Lid (Cartouche): Cut out/tear a piece of parchment only slightly larger than the diameter of the saucepan (4 to 5 quarts in size) used for poaching. Fold in half, then fold it in half once more. You will end up with a rough square of folded parchment. Fold the square into a triangle (bringing folded edge to folded edge). Repeat twice more, folding into an even smaller triangle. Roughly line up the tip of the triangle to the 'estimated' center of the saucepan and using scissors, cut the parchment following the curve on the sides of the cake pan with scissors. Unfold the parchment and set inside of the saucepan - it should cover the surface completely - slightly larger is preferable for this application. Set aside for later.
Prepare Poaching Liquid: Combine the water, honey, sugar, cloves (if using), cinnamon stick, lemon peel, ginger, vanilla extract (or paste), and pinch salt in the saucepan. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sugar has completely dissolved. Remove from the heat while you prepare the parchment lid (cartouche) and slice the quince.
Note: For this recipe, we will not peel the quince. Once cooked, it is soft and perfectly edible. This also removes any extra prepping step, which is helpful as quince flesh oxidizes quickly.Chop Quince: Slice the quince in half lengthwise (the flesh of quince is tough, so you will need a steady hand and large, sharp knife). Using a sturdy melon baller, remove and discard the core – or alternatively, cut the halves into quarters, and slice away the core with a paring knife. Place pieces cut-side down and cut into ¼-inch thick slices. Transfer the quince slices to the hot poaching liquid – they should be mostly submerged.
Poach the Quince: Return the poaching liquid to a very low simmer, covering the surface of the pot with the parchment round, and simmer the quince, flipping the slices once or twice, for 15 to 25 minutes or until tender. Total cook time will vary, so I recommend checking after 10 to 15 minutes and adjusting the time as needed. Remember that you will be cooling the sliced quince in the hot poaching liquid, so they will continue to cook as they sit.
Cool the quince to room temperature in the poaching liquid. Serve or transfer to a large container - store in the poaching liquid for best flavor - and refrigerate for up to one week. Remove the spices, lemon peel, and ginger before serving. Poaching liquid can be used for poaching other fruit or as a simple syrup in cocktails, etc.
Ways to Use Leftover Poaching Liquid:
Leftover poaching liquid poach more batches of fruit or use it as a simple syrup for cocktails or mocktails. It can also be reduced and thickened on the stovetop if you desire.
Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 10 days or freeze (and thaw overnight in the fridge before using).