Kweepeergelei / Quince Jelly

Kweepeergelei is simply "Quince Jelly" in dutch. I made some quince jelly last year, but it turned out yellowish and thin. The jam on the other hand was dry and extremely thick. This year, I resolved to do it differently.

The quinces were cut into small pieces, placed in a large pot and boiled for three hours.


Next the pulp was ladled out of the liquid and placed in a collander lined with a thin cloth.


It was allowed to sit for three hours and drip until the pulp was dry. Some folks leave the pulp to drip overnight.


We then tossed the pulp into the bin and poured the liquid back into the pot that the pulp had been boiled in originally.
Some folks use this pulp to make Membrillo. Membrillo is the Spanish word for quince, I believe...but the paste that they make they use differently than I do.

The fluid is brought back to a boil and then an equal amount of sugar is added while stirring.


Once boiling, the liquid jelly is poured into sterile pots and capped.
**At this point some people add a sprig of Rosemary into the pot before pouring the boiling jelly in.
I ám not ready for Rosemary early in the morning, but if one uses quince jelly with Rosemary for meats--then it's a whole other thing. Tasty.


The leftover jelly was put into a little "restaurant jelly container" for using on toast at the breakfast table.


**I do not believe that one needs to use pectin if they boil the liquid down a bit (by not more than 1/3).

This year I am delighted with how the quince jelly turned out and while I would recommend it to anyone, I must say that the jelly does have a distinct aeromatic quality that makes me think of lokum.
For that reason it's worth sampling before making a large amount. I find the flavour delightful, but everyone's taste can be different.

 

I first looked at this post and thought someone didn't know how to spell but as soon as I saw your name I knew it was jelly but not what kind. It's interesting to see how the language differs. I've never made quince jelly but would probably if I had some quince.
Today I bought a bag of mixed fruit. Some different plums, nectarine and one lone peach. I've been wondering if I could mix them for jelly but think maybe I would just use the plums by themselves and not add the peach and nectarines. They were marked down to sell quickly but they don't look bad or soft.
Your jelly looks great. dooley

 

Nice! The colour is very appetizing, and I certainly would like to sample some on toast for breakfast.

 

That surely does look good. I have never had quince jelly that I can think of. I am wondering if it is somewhat of a hard fruit if it needs to boil for three hours? Can you eat quince fresh or is it mainly for jelly... One more question that I am almost afraid to ask -- what is lokum?

 

thanks for the link toni. i didn't know what it was either.

i've never had quince before, but after seeing you make it sjoerd, i surely want to try! beautiful jelly jars, too.

dooley, i would mix up the fruit in a jam! the more the merrier in my book! i have lots of plums to pick today, since the frost last night, they'll be nice and sweet for jam making...and plum wine making!

 

Marmalade was orignally made from quinces (Portuguese idea) It was the Victorians in Britain who changed it to oranges (Easier to process).
We have made Quince marmalade in a similar fashion to Sjoerd's method, jusr adding strips of Quince to the mixture when doing the final boil.
You can use the fruit from either true Quince Cydonia or Japanese quince, Chaenomeles. There is no difference in taste etc.
The fruits are rock hard even when ripe so they cannot be eaten like apples or pears.
They also make a very good room freshener. Place a ripe one on a window ledge and the smell is wonderful.

 

DOOLEY-- I do think that you can make jelly or jam from mixed fruits, I do that every year. I just freeze all the fruits that I have left over after harvesting each fruit that becomes ripe...and at the end of the season, during the winter, I make pots of mixed fruit jams. I just lable them somnething like, "4-Fruit Jam". Hahaha...simple I know, but I know what it is.

DROOPY--That can be arranged.

EILEEN-- Glad you liked the posting, Eileen. I do not have any quince trees, but the peeps that I know that do are more than willing to get rid of some. They always have too many.
I can just imagine that you would enjoy trying making some. If nothing else, you would probably like the smell in the kitchen.

Well miss DAISY-- if you had ever had it, you would certainaly remember it, opf that I am certain. It has a very distinctive flavour.
The fruits are as hard as rocks. Why, a person could get a sore bum from those things....in the sense that if a young bad would throw one, and it's trajectory somehow brought it in contact with an old lady's glass window...it'd break really easily and then the result of that could lead to another sort of contact--the contact of a switch across the behind.
You really cannot eat quince fresh...well, at least I wouldn't. The taste is terrible.
...and that question you were hesitant to ask
I had a good chuckle there.
Lokum is a Turkish word for that gummy sweet called Turkish Delight, I think it is called in english. It is made and cut into small blocks then rolled in powdered sugar and coconut shreds. Delicuious stuff.
It comes in several flavours but the most common is made from rose water.

BUNKIE--Thanks for the compliment on the jelly jars. I agree with you about mixing the fruits for a jam.

 

you're very welcome sjoerd! can you give us some idea of the flavor of the jam? is it sweet? sour? in between?

i wonder if you can grow a quince tree/bush from a pit?

 

I find a description of the flavour of quince jelly extremely difficult.
To me it vaguely resembles the smell of rose petals. It is after all in the same family as roses, technically. The taste of the jelly is sweet and a bit tart at the same time (but I suppose that has to do with how much sugar you use in making the jam).
As for the "aromatic" quality...well, I guess that you'd just have to taste it to know what I mean there.

I have never heard of anyone growing a quince from a seed, but it must be possible. Most folks here but little saplings from a garden center here.

I wish that I had the room for a tree in my garden.

p.s. Perhaps you could get some quince at a farmer's market or at the grocer and make a little jelly for yourself. If it isn't well known there, you could surprise your guests some evening.

 

I have grown Chaenomeles japonica from seed, but since this is grown here mainly for its colourful flowers and the seedlings were all small reddish flowering ones, it is a bit of a waste of time really, waiting the 5 years for them to flower.
There are two Cydonia available easily in Britain, Vranja and Meech's Prolific. There are others, but you would need to search them out. Vranja has a suckering habit so I reckon Meech's is better for most gardens. They both need a warm sheltered site though.

 

Gorgeous pics, Sjoerd.

 

Thanks so much, Song--it is so good to hear from you again.

 

i have a jar of quince tea that i love. lol i loooove quince!!! i'm saving this jelly recipe, as i have some japanese quince! THANK YOU!