Quince paste

This sweetmeat, which is one of the 13 Christmas desserts in Provence (south of France), will be enjoyed at tea time and also as a gourmet gift for Christmas.

The quince is very rich in potassium but also in fiber (pectin and mucilage), in antioxidants (tannin) and in malic acid which has proven properties and promotes the elimination of uric acid.

Here’s how to enjoy this fruit in a delicious way:

Ingredients for 6 people:

• 2.5 kg quince 
• about 2 kg of sugar
• 1 vanilla pod
• 1.5 liters of water
• a piece of muslin

Preparation :

Rinse and brush the fruit to remove the little duvet. Cut the fruit into quarters without peeling them. Remove the core and seeds from the quinces and place them in muslin or a tea bag. In a large casserole dish, boil the water, add the fruit and the mousseline containing the seeds and cook for 25 minutes. Drain the fruit, remove the muslin and mix finely while pulsing (in short bursts). Weigh the pureed fruit and add the same weight of sugar. Add the seeds of the vanilla pod and return the mixture to cook over low heat, stirring regularly. The dough should dry and the edges should come away from the casserole dish (around 3 hours).