Quince Jelly Food

QUINCE JELLY

Steps:

• Sterilize 8 (1/2 pint) jars in boiling water for at least 5 minutes, and have new lids ready.
• Place the quinces in a large pot, and pour in water. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and simmer, covered, for 15 minutes. Strain off 4 cups of the juice. Mix juice with sugar and lemon juice in a heavy pot, and bring to a boil over high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin, and return to a boil. Boil for 1 full minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam. Ladle into hot sterile jars, and process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath to seal. Refrigerate jelly after opening.
• Store sealed jars in a cool dark place. Refrigerate jelly after opening.

QUINCE JELLY

Steps:

• Put the quince and lemon peel and juice in a large, deep saucepan. Cover with water (you'll need about 3.2 litres) and bring to the boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hr 30 mins until the quince is very soft.
• Line a colander with muslin cloth, and put over a very large saucepan or heatproof bowl. Tip the quince into the lined colander, cover with a clean tea towel and leave to strain for 4-8 hrs until all the juice has dripped out. Discard the pulp, then measure out the strained juice and transfer to a large, deep saucepan (the jelly will bubble up high as it cooks). Add 500g sugar for every 600ml juice.
• Bring to the boil over a low heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a rapid bubble and cook until the temperature reaches 105C on a sugar thermometer. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange blossom water, if using. Ladle into hot sterilised jars and seal. Will keep in a cool, dark place for up to a year.

QUINCE JELLY

Steps:

• Wash the quinces, scourer off the down, and then quarter them roughly. Put the cut up quince into a preserving pan with the water and simmer long and slowly until they become soft. It can take over an hour to reduce well.
• Strain through a jelly bag overnight (by jelly bag, I mean a tea towel or very fine sieve - whatever you have at your disposal that fits within that criteria will be fine). Do not force the juice, as it will make it cloudy.
• Measure the juice into the preserving pan, and for each 600 mls of juice add 375g caster sugar. Bring juice to simmering point, add the sugar and the strained lemon juice. Dissolve over a very low heat. Boil fast and begin testing for a set after 10 minutes. When soft set is reached, pour into small, sterislised, hot jars and seal.
• This jelly stiffens during storage, and looks like a ruby jewel in the jar. It is delicious is served with lamb or boiled or baked pork, or simply as jelly with toast and butter for breakfast.

QUINCE JELLY

Steps:

• Firstly, I wash and chop up enough whole quinces to fill my biggest pan, I don't bother weighing them as I am only interested in the amount of juice I have at the end.
• Pour in enough water to cover and boil until soft, approximately 2 hours.
• Pour the whole mixture into a clean, ironed, pillowcase. I iron on a high heat just before I pour in the mixture.
• Here comes the tricky bit, tie the top of the pillowcase with string and then tie the string to an upturned chair. I place a large bowl or pan, big enough to catch all the drips, underneath and place a cloth over the whole thing to keep the flies off. Leave to drip overnight.
• Measure the amount of fluid you have in the pan next day and add 500g of white granulated sugar for each 600ml of juice.
• Throw in a few lemon scented geranium leaves and the juice of one lemon. Boil until it reaches setting point, I find this by spooning some of the juice onto a cooled plate and looking for the wrinkles on top. Don't worry if you get the setting point wrong and you find your jellys not set the next day, just pop it back into the pan and boil again.
• Remove the geranium leaves and spoon off any scum on the top. Pour the, now beautiful red coloured, liquid into sterilized jars. I sterilize mine by boiling them for 10mins and then once filled with the hot liquid, screw the lids (also boiled with the jars) on tightly. I then turn the jars upside down and leave for about an hour before turning them upright again.
• All done, just remember the jelly tastes better if you can leave it for a few weeks.

QUINCE & ROSEWATER JELLY AND QUINCE PASTE

Steps:

• TO MAKE THE JELLY:Put the quinces and lemon zest and juice in a large heavy-based pan. Add enough water to cover the fruit. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hr until the quinces are very tender. Strain through a jelly bag or muslin-lined colander. Do not press out the juice - just leave it for at least 4 hrs, or ideally overnight, until the juice has dripped through.
• Put 3 saucers in the freezer. Measure the juice and return it to the pan (reserve the leftover fruit for the paste). For each 1 litre juice, add 750g sugar (or for each 100ml juice, add 75g sugar). Bring to the boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar, then boil hard until set. This could take between 5 and 20 mins. To test for set, spoon a little onto a chilled saucer, leave for 1 min, then push your finger through the juice. If it wrinkles, the jelly is set. If not, return to the heat and boil again for a few mins, then test again.
• Remove from the heat and skim off any surface scum with a slotted spoon. Stir in the butter to dissolve any leftover sediment, then stir in the rose water. Pot into sterilised jars, seal and label. Store in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year.
• TO MAKE THE MEMBRILLO PASTE:Line a 16 x 24cm shallow oblong tin or tray with baking parchment. Tip the reserved fruit into a food processor and whizz to make a smooth-ish paste. Weigh the paste and for each 1kg paste, add 750g sugar (or for each 100g paste, add 75g sugar).
• Tip the paste and sugar into a large heavy-based pan and heat gently, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Increase the heat and cook, stirring regularly, for 30-45 mins until the paste is thick and golden, and leaves a gap when you run a wooden spoon across the base of the pan. Be careful as the mixture will spit at you and can burn. Spoon into the tin or tray and smooth the top. Leave to cool, then chill overnight until it is very firm.
• Wrap the paste in fresh baking parchment, then over-wrap in foil and store in the fridge for up to 6 weeks.

QUINCE JELLY

Steps:

• Prepare six 8-ounce jelly jars.
• Rub the quinces briskly with a towel to remove any down on the skin, if there is any. (Don't peel them; the skin is important for the jelly.) Cut the quinces in half, then using a melon ball maker, remove the white core and the seeds, and reserve them. Tie the seeds and the cores together in a piece of cheesecloth.
• Place the fruit and the seed bundle in a large heavy stockpot. Add water to cover by about 1 inch so the quinces are floating slightly but not wallowing. Cover, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering merrily.
• Cook, partially covered so very little liquid evaporates, until the quinces can be pierced easily with a metal skewer, 25 to 40 minutes depending on the fruit. While the quinces are cooking, press on the seed bundle often to extract the pectin. Drain, reserving the liquid and the seed bundle.
• Measure out 6-1/4 cups liquid and return it and the seed bundle to the pot. Add the sugar, stir, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat so the liquid is boiling steadily but not wildly, and cook, stirring and pressing on the bag of seeds, until the liquid thickens, anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. (To test for consistency, drizzle some jelly on a cold plate, place it in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 minutes, and then check to see if it has thickened enough that it won't run all over the plate. If it is still very runny, continue cooking until it thickens to your liking.) If the liquid hasn't jelled within 30 minutes, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice and cook until it jells, an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
• Remove the jelly from the heat and strain it, if necessary, so it is perfectly clear. Ladle the jelly into the sterilized jars and seal according to manufacturer's instructions.

CERTO® QUINCE JELLY

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain jars well before filling.
• Remove cores and blossom and stem ends from unpeeled quinces. Finely chop or grind fruit; place in medium saucepan. Add water. Bring to boil; cover and simmer 15 min. Place three layers of damp cheesecloth or a jelly bag in large bowl. Pour prepared fruit into cheesecloth. Tie cheesecloth closed; hang and let drip into bowl until dripping stops. Press gently. Measure exactly 4 cups prepared juice into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice.
• Stir sugar into juice in saucepot. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in pectin. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat and skim off foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 5 min. Remove jars and place upright on a towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)