Quince Paste (Membrillo)

What is quince?

If you’ve never heard of a quince before, don’t worry — you’re not alone! I offered some to a couple friends and they asked me this same question!

Quinces are an ancient fruit, related to apples and pears, but they’re really tart and fibrous, and they aren’t enjoyable eaten raw.

Once cooked, though, they completely transform, becoming tender and sweet. They’ve been used for centuries in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern kitchens for jams, compotes, and of course, membrillo. You might spot them at the farmers market in fall, usually tucked between the apples and pears. If you see them, grab a few — they’re worth it!

Quince is rich in antioxidants, including vitamin C, flavonoids, and phenolic acids. It’s a good source of soluble fiber, which promotes digestion. And, it also contains pectin, a prebiotic that nourishes beneficial gut bacteria.

Mine came from a neighbor, and she gave me a whole bucket full! I had fun looking at the tree while she cut the fruit off and handed it to me. Depending on how my kitchen remodel goes, I’m hoping to make a quince ginger cake with the leftover fruits. And my neighbor told me that the fruit will last about 3 months just sitting on the counter, so that’s great.

Quince are typically ripe in the fall, often from September to November, depending on the variety and climate. Key indicators of ripeness are a golden yellow color and a strong sweet fragrance.

I’ve purchased Dulce de membrillo, quince paste before from the grocery store, but never had the chance to make it. So, I was excited to try making it at home.

It’s very high in natural pectin, so the ingredients are super simple.

How to make

The detailed instructions with ingredient amounts are in the recipe card below. I offer tips and tricks in the post for you.

The process for making the quince paste is actually quite easy, with very few steps, but it does take a long time. So, give yourself a day to make this – maybe on a nice rainy fall day.

You’ll want about 4 pounds of quince. That’s 4 pounds before you start cleaning the fruit. And, don’t worry if you have a little more or a little less. It’ll all get taken into account later in the process. I started this batch with 9 medium sized fruits.

Clean the fruit by washing it and rubbing it a bit to get some of the peach fuzz off of it. Then peel it. If you have one of those cool apple peelers they work great here. And an electric one would be even cooler. Or, peel them with a veggie peeler or a sharp knife. Then, chop off pieces, these don’t have to be nice neat cubes or anything either. Just a rough chop. And as you chop, drop the pieces into the water in the pot.

Pre-cook the quince by boiling it briefly with some lemon zest to soften it. Then strain it from the water and puree it in a food processor, high powered blender, or by using a food mill.

Next, you’ll measure the amount of puree that you have and you’ll use equal parts quince puree and sugar to make the paste. So, if you have 4 cups of puree, you’ll need 4 cups of sugar. I had four cups of puree in my batch here. Yes, I know it’s a lot of sugar, but that’s what makes the membrillo set up properly, and the sugar helps balance out the tartness. I even saw several recipes that use more sugar than fruit, so this amount is still lower than those.

Yes, you can use less sugar, you’ll get more of a jam than a solid paste. But it’ll still be delicious.

Return the quince puree to the now empty large pan, and cook again, adding the sugar and the lemon juice. Here’s where you’ll cook it for a really long time. The longer you cook it, the thicker it will get and the deeper pink-orange it becomes.

Stir it more towards the end of cooking where it’ll sputter and mound up, and it will have turned a lovely pink ruby color. Give it a taste before taking it off the heat. It should taste more complex than applesauce. If it tastes like applesauce, it needs to cook longer.

And finally, pour it in a pan and let set. The color and flavor deepen a little is at cools down.

Pro tip: Every batch of quince paste will be a little different. This is because the pectin content and ripeness of the fruit will vary every time.