Quince Paste (Membrillo)

square crop of a cube of quince paste on a cheese plate with a spreader.

5 from 1 vote

Quince Paste (Membrillo)

Make your own Quince Paste (Membrillo) at home with just a few simple ingredients — fresh quinces, sugar, lemon juice, and water. Slowly cooked down into a thick, jewel-toned preserve, it’s the perfect balance of sweet and tart. Slice it, spread it, or serve it with cheese for a touch of rustic elegance on your next charcuterie board.

Course Appetizer, Dessert

Cuisine American, Spain

Keyword paste, quince

Prep Time 40

Cook Time 3

Resting time 1 2

Total Time 3 40

Servings servings

Calories 64kcal

Author Debi

Equipment

Large pot
scale
8x8 pan
Food Processor

Ingredients

4 pounds quince washed, peeled, cored, roughly chopped - you start with four pounds of whole quince, then prep them
Zest of a lemon and juice of the lemon
4 cups granulated sugar exact amount will be determined during cooking

Instructions

Place quince pieces in a large saucepan (6-8 quarts) and cover with water. Add the lemon zest and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover, and let cook until the quince pieces are fork tender, about 30-40 minutes.
Strain the water from the quince pieces. Puree the quince pieces and the lemon zest in a food processor, blender, or by using a food mill.
Measure the quince puree. Whatever amount of quince puree you have, that's how much sugar you will need. So, if you have 4 cups of puree, you'll need 4 cups of sugar.
Return the quince puree to the now empty large pan. Heat to medium-low. Add the sugar. Stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Add the lemon juice.
Continue to cook over a low heat, stirring occasionally (you’ll stir more towards the end of cooking), for 1 & ½ hours to 2 & ½ hours, until the quince paste is very thick and has a deep orange pink color. The mixture will sputter and mound up towards the end of cooking.
Grease an 8×8-inch square glass baking dish. Pour the hot mixture into the greased baking dish and smooth the top. Let it cool to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm, about for 24 hours. Invert the quince paste onto a serving platter, use an offset spatula or a knife to gently pry it out with a knife.

Notes

To serve, cut into squares or wedges and serve with Manchego cheese.

Tightly wrap it in plastic wrap and store it in the fridge for up to 6 months. For longer storage, it can be frozen for up to a year.

Nutrition