Autumn fruits

[Ratatouille]

They are early here this year so there is an abundance of apples, quinces. pears, grapes and persimmons.
How do you use them?
I'm currently working on a quince chutney using an apple chutney recipe as a base, but I can't decide if I should make it a bit more spicey, or would that overpower the lovely quince fragrance?

[suffolk]

I find a little star anise goes well with quince.

I've also found sage and quince to be a good pairing.

[Suelle]

I've got 4 lovely looking quince on my new tree, but my fruit growing books tells me to leave them on the tree until the end of October.

I intend to poach them, package in small quantities for freezing, and add to apple crumbles etc through winter.

[StokeySue]

No quinces in Turkish Food Centre yet
Apple Day will probably be celebrated 21 October in our Farmer's Market but may be 28/29 elsewhere

[MariaKK]

I'd be inclined to go for the warmth of ginger or even a little mustard - as in Veneto mostarda - rather than the heat of chillies.

Never tried star anise with quince, but I'd trust Suffolk's expertise

[scullion]

Membrillo?

[Ratatouille]

[quote="scullion"]Membrillo?[/quote

I make quince paste which is the same, every year, as well as quince jelly and a local liqueuer. we are absolutely swamped by the things, they are falling off the trees. I have done just about everything possible with figs and grapes too. Everything is so early this year.

[Busybee]

D you know, I'm not sure I have ever tasted quince. I haven't seen them in local shops, can't recall anyone having a tree......I will have to make a concerted effort to hunt some down.

We return to Yorkshire at the weekend, Dad tells me that he has harvested all the apples from our tree. Mum has processed them in various forms and they are all in our freezer! I assume he means the eating apples as the bramleys will still be on the trees I think. Likewise we missed all the plums, but Mum and a Dad ate them.

BB

[StokeySue]

BB, You should be able to track down jam, jelly, or membrillo in a supermarket or deli, they aren't eaten raw, so might as well start with a small amount of a product
Membrillo (aka quince cheese or paste) is often found on the cheese counter and eaten with Manchego cheese

Anything you can make with quince you can also make with guavas, though possibly not in the UK, and I think the flavours of the cooked fruit have an affinity, though I like guavas raw

[scullion]

quinces look a bit like big pears, busybee, but are quite astringent - you definitely wouldn't eat them raw. if you can't get proper quinces you can find a friend with an ornamental, chaenomeles japonica bush and use those in the same way as a quince - they are known as japanese quince - there's not much difference in the fruit other than the size (and the fact that they're slightly less moist).

[Zosherooney]

We fed some (thought they were apples at first) to a Gee gee in Corsica, no complaints there.....

I added a few lavender petals to some Q. that I cooked a few years back...

[Suelle]

I haven't seen quince in the supermarkets for several years, and even the quince at our local Apple Fayre were the small Japanese fruit, which are very difficult to work with as their small size means you lose a lot when you peel and core them. OK if you're making jelly though.

That's what prompted me to plant a tree. You can see some photos of my future harvest on my blog:
https://mainlybaking.blogspot.co.uk/201 ... glory.html

[suffolk]

I've seen them in our local Waitrose in other years ... not yet this year tho'

The farm shop used to have them as a regular customer had a tree in their garden and would bring the quinces in and swap them for other stuff ... that's not happened for the last two years tho' ... think they've moved

There's a house I used to pass on the way to visit my Aged Ps which would have them by their gate on the side of the road ... I shall make a point of going that way in a few weeks' time ... or maybe we should go this weekend ... a lot of fruit has been quite early this year....

[Ratatouille]

I made a quick fruit sponge yesterday afternoon and used a mixed of stewed quince and apple in the base. I'd cooked the quinces earlier for something else but decided I could easily do some more. It was delicious.

I know what you mean about the similarity with guavas Sue. I do miss quavas but when I get an order from the UK I always include a few tins so I can make WI style quava and rum duff

[PatsyMFagan]

quinces look a bit like big pears, busybee, but are quite astringent - you definitely wouldn't eat them raw. if you can't get proper quinces you can find a friend with an ornamental, chaenomeles japonica bush and use those in the same way as a quince - they are known as japanese quince - there's not much difference in the fruit other than the size (and the fact that they're slightly less moist).

I have done this and still have the membrillo .. I made quince jelly initially - very nice

[Ratatouille]

Thought i would share the lovely pear soup "recipe" as cooked by our chef friend on Sunday,

He takes ripe but not soft pears, peels cores and slices them, heats butter in a frying pan and adds the pears. Then adds runny honey (lavender for preference) - about a tasp for 2 pears. Continues cooking until the pears are taking on colour then adds the juice of 1 orange for 2 pears, covers and cooks until they are soft. Whizz the contents of the pan and add more orange juice if necessary. Chill then serve decorated with fresh fruits, berries, sliced figs cubes of poached quince eg. Mannu serves this with a warm honet madeleine but shortbread or a honey tuille would work as well. He also adds a quenelle of sorbet.

[Zosherooney]

Mmmmmm! I might be having a go at that in the coming days..... Any adding of almonds ????

[StokeySue]

I had quince palenka (=eau de vie, schapps) in Croatia on Saturday, delicious; and one made from Irsai Oliver grapes earlier in the week that was gorgeous, like scent of a good dessert wine in spirit form

[Seatallan]

Made some quince jelly last year and it was divine. Must see if there are any quinces in my secret quince place (a local housing complex with a garden area. No one who lives there seems to bother with them much to my delight )