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Anyone who has tried quince jam at least once in their life will find it hard to believe that this delicacy is made from a hard, astringent fruit that is practically unsuitable for eating raw. Despite its attractive appearance, reminiscent of something between an apple and a pear, the taste of quince is tart and very unique, but its delicious aroma already hints that something very tasty can be prepared from it. And indeed, the same fruit, when baked or boiled, is completely transformed. For example, quince jam with lemon, if prepared correctly, turns out to be so tempting that no sweet tooth can resist it.
Quince - beneficial properties
Due to its unique composition, quince fruits are very beneficial for the human body. Ripe fruits contain a lot of fructose and other healthy sugars. Quince also contains tannins, gum, vitamins B1, B2, B6, C, PP, E and provitamin A.
The fruits contain malic, citric and tartronic acid, pectin and many trace elements.
Interestingly, many of its beneficial and healing properties are preserved even after heat treatment.
Quince fruits are most often used in the following cases:
- As a tonic and diuretic;
- Has a hemostatic and antiemetic effect;
- Has antiviral and antioxidant properties;
- Reduces the symptoms of periodontal disease and relieves pain from hemorrhoids;
- Quince jam is especially useful for intestinal inflammation;
- A high percentage of pectin will help those who live in areas with poor ecology or whose activities are associated with hazardous industries to recover.
The most delicious quince recipe
When using this recipe, quince jam turns out simply fabulous in both taste and beauty. Slices of quince and lemon retain their shape and resemble candied fruits, and the syrup, thanks to pectin substances, is saturated with quince juice and turns into aromatic jelly.
In addition, the percentage of retention of nutrients is also very high, since the fruit undergoes minimal heat treatment. True, this quince jam will give you a lot of trouble, but if you decide to try it, the result will be worth all the effort spent on it.
Preparatory work
It is necessary to warn you right away that according to this recipe, quince jam with lemon takes four days to prepare. Don't be alarmed - this does not mean that you will not have to leave the stove for all four days. Simply the procedure of heating the syrup and infusing fruit in it will be repeated every day, but will take about an hour of your time daily.
According to the recipe you need to prepare:
- 6 kg quince;
- 6 kg sugar;
- 3-4 lemons;
- 2 glasses of water (about 500 ml).
So, first you need to prepare the quince. It is peeled and cut into 4 parts. Then all seed chambers are carefully removed from each part, and each quarter is cut lengthwise into slices, about 1 cm thick.This is the most time-consuming part of the process, since even ripe quince fruits are very hard.
At the preparatory stage of cooking quince jam, lemons are not yet present. You will use them only on the third day after you start making jam.
Then comes the most important moment of the preparatory stage - making sugar syrup. A copper basin is best suited for this; if you don’t have one, you can use an enamel basin or pan with a thick enamel coating, otherwise there is a possibility of burning.
About 500 ml of water is poured into the basin, and it is placed on the fire until the liquid almost completely boils. The fire is reduced, and you begin to very gradually add sugar to the water. It is better to do this one glass at a time, stirring constantly and waiting for it to completely dissolve before adding the next portion of sugar.
The total time for dissolving all the sugar may be about 45-50 minutes, this is normal.
The syrup should be very thick, so much so that the last portions of sugar may not completely dissolve. Don't let this bother you.
When all 6 kg of sugar have been poured out, place the chopped quince slices into the boiling syrup, mix everything carefully and remove the container with the quince from the stove. The preparatory stage is over. Now cover the container with a clean towel and leave to infuse for a day.
Making jam
During these days, the quince should release juice and all the sugar will completely dissolve in it.After the allotted time has passed (nothing if a little more or a little less than 24 hours have passed), carefully transfer all the quince slices into a separate bowl using a slotted spoon, and heat the remaining syrup again over medium heat until boiling. Then place the quince pieces into the syrup again, mix well and turn off the heat. The same procedure is repeated again. The container with quince is removed from the stove to infuse for another day.
The next day, start preparing the lemons. They need to be washed thoroughly and then scalded with boiling water. Then, using a sharp knife, cut the lemons into slices 0.5 to 0.8 cm thick.
The quince slices are again taken out into a separate container, and the bowl with the remaining syrup is again put on heat. After the syrup boils, the quince slices are returned to it and mixed thoroughly. Next, lemon slices are added to the syrup, and everything is mixed again with a slotted spoon. The heating is turned off again and the container with fruit is sent to infuse for another day for the last time.
After 24 hours, the quince jam with lemon is again placed on low heat and slowly brought to a boil with all its contents.
It is enough to boil the quince jam for about 15-20 minutes with continuous stirring. Jars with lids should be washed and sterilized in advance. The hot fruits are placed in jars, filled with syrup and the jars are screwed on with lids. After this, it is better to turn them upside down and leave them to cool in this form, having first wrapped them in a towel or blanket.
Simplified recipe
If you are still afraid of the difficulties in preparing quince jam according to the above recipe, then there is a simpler method for making it. For 1 kg of unpeeled quince, take 1 glass of water and 0.5 kg of sugar, as well as 1 small lemon.
Peeled and seeded quince and cut into slices are blanched for 20-25 minutes in the amount of water required by the recipe.
Then the broth is drained, simultaneously filtering it and separating the quince pieces. Add the required amount of sugar to the broth and, bringing it to a boil, boil it for about 5-10 minutes. Then blanched quince pieces are placed in it. Set the jam aside for 12-24 hours.
The quince jam with all its contents is heated again, and while it is boiling slowly, prepare the lemons - wash and cut them into slices.
It is possible to add separately pitted lemon juice and finely chopped lemon peel to the jam.
After adding the lemons, the jam is boiled for another 15-20 minutes, after which it is poured hot into sterile and dry jars and rolled up with lids.
Try to prepare this amazing delicacy and see with your own eyes how the hard and tart fruits magically turn into an amber-colored delicacy with a unique taste and aroma.
