North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

[<redherring@tnaccess.com>]

A few years ago I discovered some nice quince bushes on TN Tech's campus,
which I assume they got from Hector.  The acid and pectin content are
fantastic for jelly making.  I haven't gotten there to collect any yet this
year, but here are two recipes I made up a few years ago for Christmas
presents:

Pear/Quince Jam
Grate equal volumes of pears and quinces.  Add enough sugar by weight or
volume to match the total amount of fruit.  Stir and let stand overnight,
till there is enough liquid to work with.  Add plenty of cinnamon and/or
ginger and/or cloves.  Boil till it reaches the jelly stage, pour into
sterilized jars, screw down the lids.

But even better:

Quince/Jalapeno Jam
Equal volumes of sweet peppers and quince, grated.
Again, equal weight or volume of sugar.
Depending on how brave you are, 1-3 jalapenos per pint of ingredients.  I
think 3 is about right.  The point is to scare your taste buds really good,
but not to actually damage them.  I like hot stuff better than I used to but
am not a fanatic, so 3 jalapenos per pint is about middle of the road I
think.  Again, boil it to the jelly stage and seal.

The easiest quinces to work with are the large fruit of Toyo Nishiki.  This
is a beautiful bush in bloom, with the added advantage of the fruit, and all
without spraying, even here in Tennessee.  I got the bright red "Spitfire"
for a pollinator, but "Cameo" is a nice tasteful cantalope color if you
don't want red.  "Spitfire" makes the normal flowering quinces in people's
yards look pale and washed out.  Normally I won't have anything to do with a
fruit that is only good for jelly making, but there is nothing like the
fragrance of quinces.  Does anyone have any recipes for quince in more
normal foods, like in desserts, or as the "lemon" content of other foods?
Donna