quince paste for lunch

there is something special about a quince. its odd shape, its odd texture, how it transforms itself into shades of burgundy after cooking, disguising itself.

quince jelly and quince paste in abundance.....bring on the school fetes....or add it to a delicious cheese platter for mothers day lunch!

the receipe i used was a mixture of several. basically you peel and core the quinces cover with water and bring to the boil. simmer until the fruit is soft. now the interesting part, you have to drain off the liquid through muslin overnight. just let it drip, don't be tempted to squeeze it or the jelly will turn cloudy. the next day you bring to boil equal quantities of sugar and liquid and simmer until it reaches setting point. I also added lemon juice, a cinnamon quill and a few bay leaves. bottle while hot. as it starts to get hot it transforms into a lovely ruby red. it keeps for 12 months and is best eaten with blue cheese.