Quince Confiture
Let this quince confiture recipe introduce you to an often overlooked fruit.
Quinces are not normally the first fruit anyone reaches for when they go to the market. They look like a cross between a lumpy pear and misshapen apple, but if you try to bite into one you'll get an unpleasant surprise. Raw, they are tart and hard as rocks. It's not until they are cooked that they reveal their true nature.
If you've never tried a quince, once cooked, it has a mildly sweet and almost flowery flavour. When made into a jam, confiture, marmalade, or the like, it's great on toast, mixed into yogurt, on cereal, or in oatmeal, etc. Anywhere you would use any other fruit jam, quinces will work just as well.
This is of course, vegan, gluten-free and dairy-free. It is low in fat and carbs, but for anyone following a keto diet, try swapping the maple syrup for Monk Fruit.
When you select quinces in the supermarket, you don't want any that feel soft, or have blemished skin or bruises. Those are already too old. The harder the better when selecting fresh quinces.
As quinces cook, they will change to a lovely reddish colour I like to think of as a shade of dark peach. This is a standout on a holiday breakfast table or any time of year, though like apples and pears, quinces are only actually in season in the autumn months in the northern hemisphere.
If sealed in an airtight container in the refrigerator, this confiture will last about 1 week.
TIP: If you feel the confiture is too liquid once the quinces are cooked, continue simmering for a few more minutes. However, quinces have a lot of pectin and as it cools it will continue to thicken. To test its final thickness, drop a little into a small pool of very cold water on a plate. Give it a few moments to cool, then test it with your finger to see what it will be like when it's done. Alternately, you can mix in a tablespoon of chia seeds to help it thicken up, but only do this after it has cooled and you know for sure the seeds are needed.
Ingredients
(Makes 32 servings | Serving size = 1 tablespoon)
1 cup water
1/2 cup pure maple syrup (or Monk Fruit)
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 cups quince, peeled, cored, finely chopped or grated
Directions
In a saucepot on medium heat, add the water, maple syrup and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer stirring regularly. Once at a simmer, add the quince. Continue simmering while stirring often, until the quince softens and changes colour.
Once most of the water has evaporated, remove from heat, and using a fork or potato masher, purée some of the fruit, but not all.
Allow the confiture to cool to room temperature then transfer into an airtight storage container. Store it in the refrigerator to get cold and enjoy as needed.
Nutritional Information Per Serving:
total calories = 20 | total fat = 0.01g | saturated fat = 0g | cholesterol = 0mg | sodium = 0.81mg | carbohydrates = 5.14g | dietary fibre = 0.22g | sugars = 3.34g | protein = 0.53g
