My quince trees didn’t produce much fruit this year, only half the amount from last year, I have no idea why??
I will make quince paste and I will vac pack and freeze it for the year. It is not hard to make, but it is time consuming, and you have to be careful in the second stage because it can quickly burn. This paste is well worth the effort of making if you have some quinces, quince paste can be very expensive to buy. This paste is delicious with cheese, but also with game meat, quail and in sauces and gravys.

1 kilo quince
500 ml water
1 kilo sugar

Chop the quinces into about 2 cm pieces leave the skin on and the pips and core in too. Put in a heavy based pot with the water and bring to a gentle simmer, simmer until the fruit is cooked and mushy about 30 minutes.

Blend with a stick blender until it is a smooth consistency and then add the sugar and simmer until it thickens and turns deep dark red colour, about one hour.

Pour into a tray lined with plastic wrap to cool and set.

 

In the Thermomix

1/4 quinces and put in the bowl chop 7 seconds/speed 5. add water and cook 30minutes/ speed 2/ 100c.

puree speed 10/ one minute. add sugar and cook 60 minutes/spped 2/100 C, it should be a  deep red colour now (depending on fruit) puree speed 10/ 1 minute. or it might need another 30 minutes cooking if not deep red yet

pour into a lined tray to cool and set

 

 

This is the same size as the batch I made last year, I probably gave half of it away, but I ran out in September so it is not a excessive size batch for a family. Hope it last the full year this year! I’m still getting 1/2 kilo plus of tomatoes most days, we each them in most meals and we all love to snack on the small ones. Maggie takes them in her lunch every day. The Roma tomatoes from the seeds I collected last year where the best preforming tomato plant again this year a a ‘tiny tommy’ variety that I planted from seed did quite well too. I did make the easy-sauce sauce a few years back, but last year I read the ingredients label on the bottle, it was a bit scary, and decided not too use it anymore!

6 kilos of tomatoes
1 kilo onions
2 bulbs garlic
1 tablespoon pepper
750 grams sugar
30 grams salt
1/2 tablespoon cloves
1/2 tablespoon mustard powder
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon chilli
1 kilo apples
1 cup brown vinegar
1 cup white vinegar

Peel and chop the onions and garlic, chop the apple and tomatoes, put all the ingredients in a heavy based pot and bring to a gentle boil, simmer for about 25 minutes until all ingredients are cooked and blend well with a stick blender. simmer for a further hour and the sauce should soon reach setting point (put a spoonful on a plate in the fridge and when cold it should have the desired sauce consistency). Pour into hot sterilised jars and cover and seal.