Recipe: Quince Paste or Quince Candy

Quince Paste/Quince candy
From: The Fancy Pantry by Helen Witty (1986)

3 to 3 1/2 lbs ripe quinces (about 6 medium large)
3 1/2 quarts water
granulated sugar
confectioners sugar

Scrub quinces, remove the fuzz, cut off the blossom ends, then cut the fruit into thin slices, cores included.

Combine the sliced fruit and water in a preserving pan, bring them to a boil. Lower heat, simmer the fruit, partly covered, until the pieces are soft and stewed.

Separate the fruit and juice using a sieve and a bowl. Drain the pulp thoroughly, transfer the pulp and grind through a food mill set on the finest disc (or use the sieve again). Work the pulp through to another bowl. Throw out the hard bits.

Rinse out the preserving pan, blend the juice and the strained pulp together again.

Bring juice and pulp to a boil over medium heat. Cook the mixture, stirring very often (straight edged spatula works well here) to prevent sticking. It must become the consistency and "plop" like rich spaghetti sauce.

Stir in 1 cup of granulated sugar per cupful of juice and pulp you began with, continuing to cook until it becomes very thick. You will be stirring constantly. Now you need to decide on paste or candy (candy keeps longer, both keep for a few months at cool room temp).

*Paste*.
Cook the mixture until thick enough to pull away from sides of the pan as its stirred. When scooped with a spoon, it should hold a mounded shape. Remove the pan from the heat, cool paste for a few minutes, then beat with an electric mixer until almost cool.

Line a jelly roll pan (cookie sheet might work) with plastic wrap, spread paste over wrap in an even layer. Let the paste dry overnight, uncovered. When the paste is only slightly tacky, cover the top with second sheet of plastic, turn the paste slab over, peel off plastic from the side now on top. Dry as before, until paste is slightly tacky.

Cut the slab into rectangles, diamonds, squares, etc. If the pieces seem sticky, let them dry a little longer on sheets of wax paper, dust the pieces with sifted confectioners sugar. Keep pieces separate with waxed paper. Pack into airtight container.

*Candy*
Cook even longer than for the paste. You must stir this constantly, lower the heat to prevent carmelization of the sugar if necessary, and lower the heat as the candy thickens. When sugar begins to melt around the edges (must not let the sugar brown at all), and the spatula leaves a clear path when drawn across the bottom of the pan, remove the candy from heat.

Let cool for a few minutes. Transfer the candy to the bowl of electric mixer, beat (use paddle attachment) slowly until lukewarm and candy is very thick.

Oil two 8 or 9 inch square baking pans. Spread the candy about 1/2 inch thick, let cool completely. Cut the candy into rectangles, diamonds, squares, etc. Dust pieces with confectioners sugar, pack into canister.