Quince paste

What is in it

Quinces, sugar and lemon juice. Nothing else and no pectin, because a quince is almost entirely pectin. This is the fruit that other jams borrow setting power from, and the fruit that gave marmalade its name long before oranges did.

We have five quince trees on the bottom terrace, planted in 2018 alongside the olives. They came into proper crop in 2022. Five trees give us enough for between 80 and 120 blocks, which is a small line and always has been.

How it is made

Quinces are cooked whole with the skin and core in, because that is where the pectin and most of the flavour sit, then pushed through a sieve. The pulp goes back in the pan with sugar at about three quarters the weight of the fruit and then it is stirred, on a low heat, for a long time.

A long time means two to three hours. It thickens, then it darkens, going from pale yellow to apricot to a deep brick red, and the colour change is the actual indicator that it is done rather than any thermometer reading. It spits, it burns on the bottom if you stop stirring, and it is the least pleasant thing we make. It is also the one most worth the trouble.

Then it is poured into shallow trays, left to set overnight, cut into 300 gram blocks and wrapped in waxed paper.

What it is good with

Cheese. Specifically a hard sheep cheese, which is the traditional pairing here and is close to perfect.
Cut thin and laid on buttered toast.
With cold roast pork or a terrine.
Melted with a spoonful of water into a glaze for roast duck.

How long it keeps

A year, wrapped, in a cool cupboard. It does not need refrigerating and it is better if it is not, because cold makes it hard and dulls the flavour. Over time it dries slightly at the edges and gets firmer. That is fine, cut the edge off if you object to it.

You may see fine white crystals on the surface after several months. That is sugar coming out of solution, not mould. Mould on quince paste is fuzzy and obvious.

How to order

There is no checkout on this site. Send us an email saying what you would like and how many, and we will reply with a total including postage and how to pay. Orders go out on Tuesdays.

Email hello@nossoparaiso.com, or use the form on the contact page if that is easier.

Minimum order is six jars or bottles, mixed however you like. Postage within mainland Portugal is 6.50 euros for up to six, 9.00 euros for up to twelve. Mainland EU is 18.00 euros for up to six and 26.00 for up to twelve. We do not ship outside the EU. Full detail is on the questions page.

When it is made

Quinces come off in October and the first half of November and the paste is made within a fortnight of picking. Blocks go on the shelf from the middle of November and generally last until spring. At the end of August there is none left and there will not be until this year's fruit comes in.