I know I have spent quite some time looking for ways to use up marmalade. So why on earth have I just made another batch?
Well, I just can't resist free food! In the garden we have 2 ornamental quince (Chaenomeles speciosa) bushes, that have been bearing lovely golden fruit. They are quite a bit smaller than true quince (Cydonia oblonga) and instead of the furry bloom they have funny waxy skin that feels almost greasy. They also don't have the strong perfume of the true quince.
And after reading that chaenomeles have more pectin than apple, I decided to make marmalade. Fun fact - the Portuguese word for quince is marmelo and the first marmalades were a quince preserve.
I sort of followed this recipe - even though it is for true quinces. I had a pretty big pile of quinces, 7 or 8 of them, but it didn't end up being that much prepared fruit - the core of these was pretty big and it took quite a lot of paring to make sure I didn't end up with toenail-y bits in my jam.
So really, I had about 2 cups of prepared fruit, but I had already measured the other ingredients into my pan, so I was crossing my fingers and counting on that pectin... got it to a rolling boil (in a very big pan so there was no chance of overflow) and got on with some other stuff. Fortunately I kept an eye on it, because after 45 minutes it was well and truly gelled and on the way to toffee.
I bottled it in a properly sterilised glass jar, because there is no way we will get rid of it all in 2 weeks. It is a wonderfully tangy marmalade with a very good flavour. I think it would be good as the jam component in a linzertorte and it will certainly get a run with some duck or venison. Or both. And maybe a marmalade rolypoly.
27 comments:
Sounds great FC, and I am very pleased you avoided toenail-y bits in the Marmalade!
Well I tried to - I've only licked the pan so far so there may be lurking toenail-y bits.
LOL @ marmalade monopoly. I love a really good homemade product like this!
-DTW
www.everydaycookin.blogspot.com
Quince is such a treat, isn't it? Great way to use them in this marmalade, too. Yum!
Oh I just bet that is so good
Foodycat, you are so lucky to have quince growing in your yard. I love quince. In spanish it is called "membrillo". The flavor is quite unique. Thank you for teaching me how to make the jam. I'd love to make some and send it out as holiday gifts. Great post.
Quince are brilliant for jams/preserves, I made quince and apple jelly last year which was really nice. Your marmalade sounds good, if I can get some quince this year I'll try it out.
I haven't tried quince yet, but I saw a bunch at the farmers market yesterday. I will have to pick some up soon
Darius - you can't beat home made jams! It's not something I make often, but there is such satisfaction when I do!
Forkful - my mother makes very good quince jelly, but I don't have the patience to let it drip without disturbance, so I am better off doing this sort of thing!
Kat - it was pretty tasty off the spoon!
Teresa - if you can get quince, it would make a lovely gift! That membrillo paste you get with cheese in Spain is delicious too.
Sam - they should be in the shops soon!
Esi - not everyone likes the flavour, so maybe just get one and do a slow-cooked winter fruit compote to check it out first?
I just can't keep up with you! You're amazing! I can't really comment on this until I know what quince is! I've seen it around the blogospere lately, but I don't know what it tastes or looks like {I think, then again, maybe I didn't know I was eating quince...}
Your chicken looks and sounds divine, and so do those bars that I saw on Esi's blog AND originally on Tartlette's and had earmarked to try! Glad you had so much success!
No quince in this part of the world :( Pity because I'm in a bit of a jamming rut, and yours looks great. Toenail marmalade would have been brilliant for Halloween :)
I cannot tell you how jealous I am that you have quince trees growing in your yard. they are one of my absolute favorite fruits. there is something so magical about them. Have you ever made quince membrillo? it's often served on cheese plates particularly with cheeses like Manchego.
This marmalade sounds awesome.
true story--i've never tasted quince. i haven't met a fruit i didn't like, though, so i'm confident that your marmalade would be luscious. :)
Oooh I LOVE quince! Ours should be arriving next week- I cant wait! I usually make a quince "paste" to eat with manchego, but I will need to do a marmalade this year as well, as this looks amazing!
Garlic - it'll turn up in Autumn/winter. You can't eat them raw but when they are cooked they turn the loveliest pinky red colour!
Dee - hadn't thought about the Halloween angle, but you are right!
Ali - I made membrillo once years ago. So much effort! The bought one was better...
Grace - if you like sharp rather than sweet jam you would like the marmalade!
Brittany - I think the marmalade could be very useful. I was thinking about it as a side dish with a buttermilk pannacotta.
We had quinces - the big, furry, fragrant kind - growing in our backyard in Fremantle. It was a pretty pathetic tree, all straggly and desperate-looking and alone. I knew it was some kind of fruit tree, but had no idea until it bore these big, lovely fruit. I knew immediately what they were, even though I'd never seen one before - how wierd is that? I wish I'd known to how to make a paste with them back then.
I haven't had quince, or rolypoly for that matter.
I feel I must do a little travelling to see what I am missing out on!
Wonderful that you make your own jams and marmalades.
I have a quince tree in my yard, and last year I had to get very creative with them. I made some into a soft preserve (more like a spreadable jelly) with a little cardamom to go with lamb kebab - the best use I could find. The rest got turned to fruit leather to eat with manchego.
Mine are coming on now, should be perfect soon! I'm feeling some canning coming...
Sontology - that is amazing! You just said "I guess this is a quince"? Brilliant!
Natashya - rolypoly is a very filling steamed suet pudding. I love it, but it's about 10000000 calories a serve.
Heather - there's a Maggie Beer/Nigella recipe for roasted quinces that I think would bottle in booze very well.
Foodycat, thanks for stopping by my blog. It's always good to hear from you. Glad you liked the legend of La Llorona.
I adore marmalade! I saw some quince at the farmer's market last weekend, but didn't know what to do with them. Now I do. Hope they are there tomorrow.
I've never had quinces or quince marmalade, but the color is lovely!
Teresa - always exciting to read one of your posts! That story was great.
Laurie - let me know how you get on if you find quinces again!
Arika - it is like magic! They go from white to pink to that rich amber colour.
I love marmalade and I love quinces so this is pretty much my dream food item!
I've never heard of ornamental quince. I'm curious as to how different it tastes. My father in law has a quince tree and I just got finished making my first batch of jelly and jam. I just love the jelly!
I am so jealous of your blooming garden, and your ability to make your own marmalade! hehe ^_^
Maggie - they aren't as fragrant, and they don't have that slightly gritty mouthfeel that real quinces do. They taste sort of like a combination of pear and lemon. It's a pretty shrub though - gorgeous red flowers.
Noob - this is our first year in this house so everything is taking us a bit by surprise when it grows!
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