🍰 Sweets & drinks

Membrillo – Sweet Quince Paste

Name: Membrillo – Sweet Quince Paste
Total time: 2 h 15 min
Ingredients: quince; 1 lemon; water; 500 g sugar; fresh ginger; cinnamon; vanilla

⏱ 135 min

Membrillo, or sweet quince paste, is a Spanish delicacy made by slowly cooking quince puree with sugar and warm spices until thick and glossy. The concentrated fruit flavor and deep burgundy color make it an ideal companion to cured meats and aged cheeses, especially during the holiday season.

Adapted from a video by Bruno Albouze

Membrillo – Sweet Quince Paste – Bruno Albouze

Watch on YouTube

Ingredients

quince
lemonjuiced1
water
sugarfor every 1 kg of cooked quince puree500 g
fresh gingeroptional
cinnamonoptional
vanillaoptional

Steps

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1
Clean the quinces and cut them into quarters. Add the squeezed lemon juice and water, then cook for about 30 minutes until the quinces are completely tender.
2
Drain the cooked quinces and remove the cores and seeds. Pass the cooked quinces through a food mill to produce a smooth puree, collecting it in a large bowl.
3
Add sugar to the puree in a 2-to-1 ratio (1 kg puree to 500 g sugar). Stir in warm spices such as fresh ginger, cinnamon, and vanilla to taste.
4
Transfer about one-third of the quince mixture to a mold for making the paste; freeze the remaining mixture for later use.
5
Cook the quince mixture over low heat, stirring every 2 to 3 minutes. After 45 minutes it will reach a jam-like consistency; continue cooking until the time has doubled (roughly 90 minutes total) to achieve a thick, deeply colored paste.
6
Pour the finished paste into molds of desired shape and refrigerate overnight before unmolding.