Pear-quince fruit spread, prepared with minimal effort

Ingredients for 1 servings:

• 2 ½ kg quince(s) (pear quinces)
• 2 lemons or limes
• 1 kg gelling sugar 2:1

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 30 minutes

Weigh out approximately 2.5 pear quinces. Rub off the gray fuzz with a clean brush or a rough cloth (best done outside, as it creates a lot of fuzz). Remove the stems and cut off the base of the quinces. Simplified: Cut off both ends. Place in a suitable pot. Fill with water until the quinces are covered. Squeeze the lemons (or limes) and add the juice to the water. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Remove the quinces with a slotted spoon, drain, and let cool. Reserve the cooking water. Cut off the flesh from the cooled quinces. Remove any unsightly parts. The skin can be used in its entirety. The core is not used; it will remain. Weigh the flesh. It should be about 1.5 kg. If it’s a little more, it doesn’t matter; quinces contain a lot of pectin, and the jam will still set. Pour into a large pot. Add about 1 liter of the cooking water. Purée the fruit in the cooking water. Add the gelling sugar. Mix well. If the mixture is very thick, add 200-300 ml of the remaining cooking water. Bring the jam to a boil. Caution: the mixture is quite thick. It will set easily and boil in large bubbles at a later stage; there is a risk of splashing. Therefore: Stir vigorously from the beginning, ideally with a large whisk, to prevent spills. Once the jam is boiling, keep stirring. Let it boil briskly for about 4-5 minutes, then immediately fill jars, cover the jars with a damp cloth, and screw on the lids. (Do not turn the jars upside down.) Note: Many people shy away from using quinces because they are hard and difficult to work with. There are apple and pear quinces. This recipe uses the slightly milder pear quinces. When ripe, they have a rich yellow color (quince yellow). After several attempts, I found a way to process these wonderful, abundant fruits in such a way that they make jam, allow the delicious pulp to be used, and remain “doable.” A final note: The fruit plus the cooking water yields approximately 2.5 kg. The specified amount of gelling sugar is still sufficient. The jam sets sufficiently due to the high pectin content of the fruit. It will keep for at least a year. Children also enjoy this mild jam.