Season: Late September to October. A fruit cheese is simply a solid, sliceable preserve – and the princely quince, with its exquisite scent and delicately grainy texture, makes the most majestic one of all. It can be potted in small molds to turn out, slice, and eat with cheese. Alternatively, you can pour it into shallow trays to set, then cut it into cubes, coat with sugar, and serve as a sweetmeat. A little coarsely chopped quince cheese adds a delicious fruity note to lamb stews or tagines – or try combining it with chopped apple for a pie or crumble.

　　

Ingredients

Makes about 2 1/2 pounds

　　2 1/4 pounds quince

　　2 1/2 to 3 3/4 cups granulated sugar

　　Food-grade paraffin wax, for sealing

　　

Step 1

Wash the quince. Coarsely chop the fruit but don’t peel or core it. Place in a large pan and barely cover with water. Bring to a simmer and cook until soft and pulpy, adding a little more water if necessary. Let stand for several hours.

　　

Step 2

Press the contents of the pan through a sieve or run through a food mill. Weigh the pulp and return it to the cleaned-out pan, adding an equal weight of sugar. Bring gently to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved, then simmer gently, stirring frequently, for an hour and a bit until really thick and glossy. It may bubble and spit like a volcano, so do take care. The mixture is ready when it is so thick that you can scrape a spoon through it and see the bottom of the pan for a couple of seconds before the mixture oozes together again.

　　

Step 3

If you’re using small dishes or straight-sided jars, brush them with a little glycerine. This will make it easy to turn out the cheese. If you’re using a shallow baking pan or something similar, line it with parchment or waxed paper, allowing plenty of overhang to wrap the finished cheese.

　　

Step 4

When the cheese is cooked, pour it into the prepared molds or jars. To seal open molds, pour melted food-grade paraffin wax over the hot fruit cheese. Jars can be sealed with lids (see pp. 21–22). Cheese set in a shallow tray should be covered with parchment or waxed paper and kept in the fridge.

　　

Step 5

For optimum flavor, allow the quince cheese to mature for 4 to 6 weeks. Use within 1 year.

　　The River Cottage Preserves Handbook by Pam Corbin.Pam Corbin has been making preserves for as long as she can remember, and for more than twenty years her passion has been her business. Pam and her husband, Hugh, moved to Devon where they bought an old pig farm and converted it into a small jam factory. Using only wholesome, seasonal ingredients, their products soon became firm favorites with jam-lovers the world over. Pam has now hung up her professional wooden spoon but continues to "jam" at home. She also works closely with the River Cottage team, making seasonal goodies using fruit, vegetables, herbs, and flowers from her own garden, and from the fields and hedgerows.