Have you ever heard of quince? If not, to start off, it is a fruit. It is the only member of the fruit genus Cydonia in the Malinae subgroup of the family Rosaceae. This is a deciduous tree that has aromatic, hard, right yellow-gold fruits, which look a lot like pears.
These fruits are very healthy and low in calories at 57 calories per 100 grams. They are unique, and a little bit weird. It has a medium juiciness and medium sweetness, but how can we describe what it tastes like?
Well, we are going to give it a go.
Time to find out what quince tastes like!
What Does Quince Taste Like?
So, what does quince taste like? Well, in the majority of the world, the spongy and tough flesh of quince fruit has a sour and astringent taste. Its taste is sour and can have quite a bite to it, but once cooked the taste can change to be very sweet.
Its extreme tartness is usually stopped via baking or cooking as it is naturally so sour it can actually irritate your throat!
What Does Raw Quince Taste Like?
When raw quince tastes astringent, sour, and bitter, and its texture is floury and tough. It is generally not advised to eat these raw, as it can actually hurt your throat to do so, and its sourness is more than likely to result in some stomach upset.
Know that while quince is edible when raw, the tough texture and tart taste makes it very unpleasant to eat raw, even when it is fully ripened. It is best to cook it as you will then to enjoy its sweetness and honeyed aroma.
What Does Quince Paste Taste Like?
Quince paste is a very thick jam that is made from the cooked flesh of the quince fruit. It is a rich red-orange color, and its taste is sweet and ever so slightly floral.
Quince paste is most popular in the Middle East and in Sudden Europe. It is best served with cheese, spread on toast, on crackers, on sandwiches, with breakfast, or just eaten as is as a little something to satisfy your sweet tooth.
What Does Quince Jam/Jelly Taste Like?
The small population of those who have tasted quince jam tend to find it has a tangy but fragrant first impression. This jam has a sour but sweet flavor making it a refreshing but delicious way to start your day when you pair it with breakfast.
You need to first chop up the fruit and boil it until all of the water has evaporated and all that is best is a chunky, jelly mixture. If you find that quince jelly on its own is not quite sweet enough for you, you can add some cane sugar to add to its sweetness.
What Does Quince Juice Taste Like?
Quince juice does not taste so different from quince jelly. A quince concentrate is made when you heat the fruit to evaporate the liquid, which leaves a condensed solution that is more potent than a typical juice, you can drink it like this, or add in some water to bring it to a juice state.
Quince keeps its very fresh flavor when it is in juice form, and it still delivers all its highly nutritional, superfood benefits as a juice, including its high vitamin C content.
How To Eat Quince?
Most fruits are eaten raw, but quince is a fruit that is usually only eaten cooked, as even when they are ripe a raw quince will taste sour and have very tough flesh. So, they are best eaten cooked.
Once you have sliced off some quince, place it into a pot with some water and some sugar and let it simmer until the flesh is soft, you could also add some spices for something a little special.
Eat this fruit on its own, put it on yogurt, or oatmeal, or use it to top off some roast pork.
Quince jam is also a delicious way to enjoy this fruit, but always be aware of the sugar content.
What Tastes Similar To Quince?
If you love quince but cannot get your hands on any for a recipe, the best way that you can simulate the flavor would be to use apples with lemon rind, cherries, pears with lemon rind, or fresh figs.
These options give the texture and sweetness that quince has, but the citrus will add the zingy fresh flavor that quince has.
Apples and pears are the best options as quince is a distant relative of apples and pairs.
However, what you substitute for quince depends on what you intend to make. For some meat-based dishes, apples and pears work perfectly. For other sweeter options, perhaps fresh figs or cherries would be more fitting, especially if you want to simulate the sweetness and texture more accurately.
What Compliments Quince?
Thanks to quince’s tropical notes, it is actually a really good fruit to match with pineapple, however, it matches up well with bananas, and also a mango. It does well when served as a sorbet, ice cream, or with some caramelized fruits.
If you are eating quince as a jelly, biscuits, popovers, scones, toast, and croissants will all complement it well. Quince also goes very well on buttermilk bread and pairs well with a majority of pastries too.
If you want to add seasonings and spices to quince, cinnamon and vanilla go very well, and star anise too. Red wine pairs well with quince on a cheese board, and the cheeses that pair best with it include camembert, brie, and Roquefort. Celery can also go well with it when put on a cheese board too!
FAQs:
What Does Quince Smell Like?
As well as having a very distinct taste, quince also has a very distinct aroma as well, this aroma makes them smell like exotic guava, smelling like apples and pears as they ripen, they also have a citrus scent to them and a hint of vanilla.
Quince Harvesting Season
Quince is usually harvested in the Autumn, between October and November. They turn from a yellow color to a more gold color.
What Does Quince Gin Taste Like?
Depending on the brand of quince gin you get it has citrusy notes, juniper, ginger, and typical quince flavor with a sweet and syrup-like texture.
Where To Buy Quince?
To buy quince you usually need to go to an individual seller online, but some high-end shops may sell them.
How To Store Quince?
Quince should be stored in cold, dark places, do not wrap the fruits or allow them to touch. Do not store these with other fruits.
Additionally, she spent a few years working for Smoothie King, where she gained extensive knowledge about making smoothies.
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