Quince Trees
There are two quince trees (they look more like bushes) near the house and garage at Blue Button Farm. I don't know how old they are, but if I had to guess, maybe they were planted in the early 1950's. Quince trees were common in colonial America. There was at least one in every orchard in New England ( they are self-pollinating) and they are in the same family as the apple, pear and rose. Quince fruit was not a favorite because raw, they are hard and sour, but when baked, the white flesh turns red, soft and sweet. Quinces naturally contain a large amount of pectin, which makes them perfect for making jelly.
The quince tree in the Spring. The flowers have a wonderful fragrance. This fruit bearing quince should not be confused with the ornamental Japanese flowering quince.
When ripe, the fruit turn a golden yellow and give off a floral fragrance. This usually happens in October around here. This Quince tree needs to be pruned. Even with years of neglect, it still produces fruit.
First step in making Quince Jelly is to collect only ripe fruit. They should be yellow and the blossom end should smell fragrant.
Chop the fruit up and discard the cores. Don't bother trying to peel the fruit. Add enough water to cover plus an inch. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer until the fruit is soft ( about an hour).
Using a potato masher, mash the quince to the consistency of slightly runny applesauce. (Notice the change in color of the fruit.)
I strained the juice from the pulp by pouring it through two layers of cheese cloth draped over a strainer. This may take a couple of hours.
I had about 4 lbs. of chopped quince and it made 10 cups of liquid. Bring the liquid to a boil and add 8 cups of sugar. Stir constantly until the sugar is dissolved. Hang a candy thermometer on the side to monitor the jelly temperature.
As the jelly cooks, skim off the foam that comes to the surface and sterilize your jelly jars and lids.
The jelly stage can occur between temperatures 218 and 220 degrees.
To test for the jelly stage, pour a teaspoon of the jelly on a chilled plate. If it feels firm and "wrinkles" it is done and ready to be poured into hot jars.
