Quince Has Brown Flesh

I was given 10 kg of quinces and would like to process them into compote. The quinces are freshly picked and yet 1/3 of the 10 kg are brown on the inside when cut open. You can’t tell from the outside that they are “overripe”. Have they been stored incorrectly?

Without having seen the fruit, it is difficult for us to judge what caused the brown spots inside the quince.

According to your description, it could be the so-called flesh tan. This is a metabolic disorder that can occur due to poor growing conditions.

Flesh tan is more common in wet years than in dry years. Carbohydrates and malic acid are increasingly broken down. The so-called acetaldehyde is formed, which destroys the cell structures.

Quinces with meat browning can still be used. Normally, the color of the juice or jelly is not or only slightly darker than usual. So the dark areas don’t have to be cut out. You should only sort out the fruits in question if there are real rotten spots.

Quinces, but also apples with flesh browning, cannot be stored for long and should be processed quickly.

Another possible reason for the discoloration of the flesh could be that the fruit was harvested too late. If you wait too long before harvesting, the fruit will start to age and the ingredients will begin to break down. This can cause the flesh to brown.

Storage that is too cool can also lead to discoloration of the pulp. The best storage temperature is between 0 and 2 degrees Celsius.