A quince is kind of like a cross between an apple and a pear, and tastes a little bit like neither. They look like stumpy green pears that fell into a pile of dryer lint as they were picked. But unlike apples or pears, quinces can't be eaten raw. This is partly because of the fuzz (although that washes off relatively easily), but it's mostly because raw quinces are hard and sour and wouldn't be much fun to eat. (It's also because worms tend to like quinces more than they do apples, and you often end up with some worm castings in your fruit.). But cooked, they soften up and become sweet, and you can cut those wormy bits out. Growing up, we had a quince tree in our front yard, and each fall, my mom's go-to dish for them would be to stew them up with apples to make a sauce. But I recently came across this recipe for a pie, and decided to give it a go.
Ingredient List
3 lb quince, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 T flour
2 T butter
1/2 tsp. salt
Double pie crust
In a large pot, combine the quince, honey, and water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for about 8-10 minutes, or until the fruit is tender. Stir occasionally to make sure the fruit doesn't burn. Once tender, strain out the cooked quince into a separate bowl, reserving the liquid. Set them both aside to cool. While this is happening, prepare the pie crust.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt, and stir to mix well. Together with the butter, add the sugar mixture to the reserved quince liquid, and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 500 and place a cookie sheet onto one of the lower racks. Pour the cooled quince into the prepared pie crust and cover with the sauce. Add the top crust and make slits for venting.
Place the pie onto the heated cookie sheet and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the crust is just starting to turn golden brown. Reduce heat to 375 and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until the crust is brown, and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Ingredient List
3 lb quince, peeled, cored, and sliced
1/2 cup honey
1 1/2 cups water
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 T flour
2 T butter
1/2 tsp. salt
Double pie crust
In a large pot, combine the quince, honey, and water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, and simmer, covered, for about 8-10 minutes, or until the fruit is tender. Stir occasionally to make sure the fruit doesn't burn. Once tender, strain out the cooked quince into a separate bowl, reserving the liquid. Set them both aside to cool. While this is happening, prepare the pie crust.
In a small bowl, combine the sugar, cinnamon, flour, and salt, and stir to mix well. Together with the butter, add the sugar mixture to the reserved quince liquid, and bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and cook, stirring constantly, about 2 minutes, or until the liquid has thickened. Remove from the heat and allow it to cool slightly.
Preheat the oven to 500 and place a cookie sheet onto one of the lower racks. Pour the cooled quince into the prepared pie crust and cover with the sauce. Add the top crust and make slits for venting.
Place the pie onto the heated cookie sheet and immediately reduce the oven temperature to 425. Bake for about 25 minutes, or until the crust is just starting to turn golden brown. Reduce heat to 375 and bake for an additional 45 minutes, or until the crust is brown, and the filling is bubbly. Allow to cool completely before serving.