What is quince and where can you buy it?

|quin-se|

Adam Bush

Published: April 19, 2020 at 11:36 PM

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Discover what quince is, where to shop for it, and how to use it in our ingredient glossary

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What is quince?

The quince is a fruit from the same family as pears and apples. When raw it is bitter, tough and sour, with a delicate floral aroma, but when cooked it is soft and sweet. It is very high in pectin, the setting agent used in jam making, so is famously used in jams, jellies and fruit cheese. Quinces are available to buy in the autumn months in the UK.

Where to buy quince

Waitrose Fresh Quince Fruit, £1/each, Waitrose (when in season)

Tiptree Quince Jelly, £7.43/340g, Amazon

Quince recipes

Quince-glazed cabbage with chorizo

Check out this easy traybake recipe with spicy chorizo sausages and sticky sweet quince. This simple recipe is a perfect midweek meal for all the family.

Chorizo Sausage Tray Bake Recipe with Quince and Red Cabbage

Sherry-and-quince-glazed ham with pineapple relish

This ham can be scaled up or down in size – just use the calculations below. Rather than the fuss of boiling then baking, we prefer to tent the ham with foil and bake in its own juices before glazing, why not try this to go alongside your Christmas Day turkey.

Quince and honey cake

Quince and honey is a great autumnal flavour combination. Try them together in this recipe for an easy quince and honey cake that looks really impressive.