Ingredients

• ripe quinces
• white sugar (not unrefined sugar) (950 grams or 4 3/4 cups for each liter or quart of quince juice)
• lemon(s) (1 for each liter or quart of quince juice)

Instructions

1. Rub the quinces with a dry cloth to remove the fuzz, then rinse and remove what’s left of the blossom (the teeny leaves opposite the stem end). Using a sharp knife, quarter the fruit, check to make sure no worm lives inside, and cut into small chunks without peeling or coring.
2. Place the fruit in a large pot, add water just to cover, place the lid on, and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 1 hour, until soft. If you have a pressure cooker, cook the fruit for 25 minutes once the target pressure is reached.
3. Pour the fruit and juice through a fine mesh colander into a large bowl, and press the fruit gently to extract as much juice as possible. Set the fruit aside for another use*. Clean the colander, line it with moistened cheesecloth (or a moistened dishtowel if unavailable), and filter the juice a second time to remove all the solid particles – this will ensure you have a nicely translucent jelly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
4. The next day, measure the quince juice you’ve obtained and pour it into the cleaned pot. For each 1 liter (1 quart) of juice, add the juice of 1 lemon and 950 grams (4 3/4 cups) sugar. (You should get 1 liter of juice from about 1.8 kilos or 4 pounds quinces.)
5. Set the pot over medium-high heat and stir regularly until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook, skimming the foam that collects at the surface, until a cooking thermometer reads 103-105°C (217-221°F) – this took about 10 minutes for me.
6. If you don’t have a thermometer, place a saucer in the freezer as the jelly cooks. To check whether the jelly is set, pour a drop of jelly onto the very cold saucer, wait a few seconds, then tilt the saucer: if the drop slides along the saucer, the jelly needs more cooking. If it stays put, it’s ready.
7. While the jelly is cooking, sterilize the jars and lids – I submerge them in boiling water for 10 minutes, but you can also run them in the dishwasher or the oven. (See this site for comprehensive info on safe canning.)
8. Pour the very hot jelly into the very hot jars using a small ladle. Wipe off the rims and any spillage with a clean, damp cloth. Close the jars tightly and let cool without disturbing. Label and put away in a cool, dark place until ready to eat. Give them a few months if possible; the flavor improves with time.

*Process the cooked fruit through a food mill to get rid of the pits, skin, and woody bits. The filtered pulp can be sweetened, spiced, and eaten as a compote, or sweetened and cooked again to make quince paste (a.k.a. membrillo).

Adapted from Christine Ferber’s Mes Confitures.