Quince Jelly

Directions

• Step 1 PREPARATION : Star by thoroughly washing the fruits. Place the quinces into a large pan, cover them with cold water, and let it cook on low heat until they can be mashed just with the pressure of a fork. This can take up to 30 to 40 minutes. Peel the lemon zest, by removing a thin layer of the yellow skin without cutting into the white layer. Cut thick or thin to your preferred thickness. Zests need to be blanched in order to become tender. To blanch, place them in a pot filled with cold water, when the water boils, wait two minutes before draining. Repeat this action three times in a row, with a start from cold water, set aside. I do not personally use these blanched zests for this particular recipe. I freeze or candy them, or use them for other preserves recipes (pear, citrus). Thinly slice the lemon , with the white skin on. Cut each slice in two, have them boil in a small amount (about 30cl) of water for 20 minutes. Save the seeds, they will be used for next day’s cooking. Once cooled down, keep this preparation in the fridge.
• Step 2 When the quinces are cooked, let them cool down. Then drain in a large bowl to save the juices. This can take from several hours to one full night.
• Step 3 JELLY COOKING : Place the fruit pulp in a clean kitchen cloth. Thoroughly squeeze by rotation to collect the rest of the juices in the bowl. Do not hesitate to get help if needed.
• Step 4 Weigh the liquid obtained, add the same weight in sugar. Pour in the cooking pot and add the lemon set aside the day before. Start heating, add the large tea ball filled with the seeds and core set aside. Let it boil 15 minutes before testing on a cold plate. The method is to slowly pour a large drop of jelly on a plate. It should get firm after one minute in the fridge. Make sure you stir constantly when heating. If you are not sure of yourself, you may keep heating for a few extra minutes. When you pour the preparation into jars, it will still be thick syrup. Not to worry : this preparation will get firm while cooling down.
• Step 5 Use a funnel to fill in the sterilized jars while the slow-cooking is still on, so that the rest of the preparation does not firm up. Once all the jars are filled, close the lids and turn them upside down, be careful not to get burnt. Wait until they are completely cooled down to store them in a cool and dry place, away from daylight. This quince jelly may be kept over 18 months. Once opened, the jars may be kept for a long time in the fridge. Enjoy!