Quince, a fruit for gods!!!

Quinces have been used in Greek cuisine for thousands of years. Ancient Greeks used to call them ‘’apples’’ and they used to combine them with meat in savory dishes or in simple desserts like baked quinces stuffed with honey and almonds’’.

In mythology quince was the fruit dedicated to the goddess Aphrodite (Venus)  and the ‘apple’ given to her by Paris in the famous beauty contest.. Plutarch tells us that Solon (a lawgiver and poet) suggested that brides bite into a slice of quince before they met with their husbands to ensure  a memorable and pleasant first kiss!

Nowadays we still use quinces in cooking, in festive dishes with pork or beef or in desserts the same way you would use apples.

The following recipe is a ‘’spoon sweet’’ which is quince cooked in syrup. It is the simplest way to preserve fruits and then use them in pastry. Quinces make a very tasty preserve with a vibrant red color that matches perfectly with yogurt, cheesecake, or as it is.

Ingredients

500gr quinces peeled, seeded and diced

500gr sugar

300gr water

vanilla for flavor

In a pot over a low fire put the sugar and water and simmer. As soon as the sugar dissolves add the diced quinces and cook for 10 minutes only. Remove from the fire and let it rest for 24 hours. Return the preserve to a boil for about 15-20 min or until the syrup thickens. Keep in mind that quinces are rich in pectin.