# 256: Q is for Quince
# 256: Q is for Quince
Preparing the garden and cottage for Fall, the flavor and aroma of quince which is like no other, plus recipes for membrillo (quince paste) and quince infused vodka.
Fall is Coming
Days are shorter, nights cooler and Summer, which isn’t officially over until Sunday of next week when the Autumn Equinox arrives, is all but rushing out the door. The weather is alternating bright sun & blue skies to clouds & rain. Weeds are dropping their seeds, the grass is having one last green hurrah before giving up for the season, and spiders are sneaking inside to hide thinking that I won’t spy them. The night before last, I climb up the granny stairs to the attic and close the roof top sky light window that lets the warm air out in the summer. This rooftop rhythm—open in Summer, closed in Fall—is a ritual for me. Setting a fire in the woodstove is still a ways off—that will come when the temps begin their dip. I try to wait until it’s 40F before striking the first match but at my age I don’t have to prove my hardiness to anyone and notching that up a bit.
Fall chores are in full swing. The bees look for lavender but the flowers are mostly spent so I gather and cut all the swaths that surround my front courtyard with a small hand scythe. A friend comes over for a visit and seals up air leaks under the doors that lead outside. When the house is woodstove-warm and the weather outside is wet, little pools of condensation can gather in front of doors where the air leaks inside which can damage the floor. In past years I’ve blocked it with rolled-up bath towels. I’ll probably add them as extra insurance this year, too. Forewarned is forearmed.
This year for the first time I will have enough elderberries on the bush to gather, freeze and add a handful in apple pie.
It’s been a good year for my pear tree espaliered on the garden fence, too. I gather them in my apron, head to the kitchen and store them in the fridge for a few weeks to ripen. When I feel a little give around the stem end I’ll make at least one fresh pear pie and maybe a pear variation of Tarte Tatin, too.
Q is for Quince
And what does all this have to do with the letter Q? Early fall is when my quince tree gives up its glorious yellow fruits. Twenty five years ago when I moved to Pie Cottage, I planted a variety called Aromatnaya—one of the only varieties that can be eaten out of hand but I find its flavor too bright for me to enjoy like that. Last year’s banner crop was hundreds of pounds and after I used as many as I could, I offered the rest to gleaners for a win-win all the way around.
I put half a diced quince in apple and pear pies to give an extra little spark of flavor and quarters in slow-cooking chicken dishes. My favorite use for them is quince paste (Membrillo), a sweet Spanish treat that is served with Manchego cheese. Membrillo takes only two ingredients—ripe quince and sugar. I set some on the window sill above my kitchen sink and wait until their lovely aroma perfumes my entire kitchen. They are ready to use when I smell that.
Over the years I’ve made a lot of this sweet paste and the directions in Jane Grigson’s Fruit Book (1982) are the best I’ve used. I add vanilla beans, too. I plan on making her recipe for Quince Vodka this year and, if you find yourself with extras, check out
’s poached quinces which he uses in his Quince Tarte Tatin.
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