Quince Jam

Recipe for a simple quince jam made with grated fresh quince, sugar, and lemon juice.

By
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer
Elise Bauer

Elise founded Simply Recipes in 2003 and led the site until 2019. She has an MA in Food Research from Stanford University.

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Updated February 08, 2021
Elise Bauer
Quince Jam
Elise Bauer

Years ago, backyard quince trees were common. People would cultivate them to harvest the fruit for cooking in pies or preserves.

Inedible raw, and looking like a cross between a pear and a golden apple, quince cook up sweet, with a vibrant rose color and a floral aroma and flavor.

These days you can still find an odd tree here and there in backyards of older houses, though chances are the owners don't know the culinary delights available in these hard yellow fruit.

(I had a quince tree in the yard of my rented home in San Francisco for 4 years and never once cooked a quince. Now that I know better, just to think of it makes me want to bang my head on the wall.)

Here is an easy recipe for a simple quince jam. Feel free to spice it up a little with nutmeg, cardamom, or vanilla.

Quince Jam
Elise Bauer

More Jams to Try:

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Quince Jam

Prep Time 20 mins
Cook Time 70 mins
Total Time 90 mins
Servings 80 servings
Yield 5 half-pint jars

Quince are available in October, November in the Northern Hemisphere.

When choosing what quince to pick or buy, smell the bottom of the fruit. It should have a strong floral fragrance. If not, it's not fully ripe.

If the fruit comes from an organically grown tree, it may easily have worms in the cores. No problem for jam making, just cut the wormy pieces away from the rest and discard.

Ingredients

  • 6 cups (packed) quince, rinsed, grated (discard cores, leave peel on), from about 2 pounds of quince (about 5 quince)

  • 4 1/4 cups water

  • 1/4 cup lemon juice

  • 1 tablespoon lemon zest

  • 4 cups sugar

Method

  1. Prep and grate the quince:

    Prepare the quince by washing and cutting in half. Working around the core, grate the quince flesh (including the peel) with a cheese grater, until you have about 6 cups of grated quince.

    fresh quince fruit
    Elise Bauer
    cook grated quince for jam
    Elise Bauer
  2. Simmer grated quince in water with lemon juice and zest until soft:

    Put 4 1/4 cups of water in a large (6-8 quart), wide, thick-bottomed saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the grated quince, lemon juice and lemon zest. Reduce heat and simmer until the quince is soft, about 10 minutes.

  3. Add sugar and simmer until thickened:

    Add the sugar and bring to a boil again. Stir to dissolve all of the sugar. Lower the heat to medium high.

    Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally until quince jam turns pink and thickens to desired consistency, about 30-50 minutes. (If the jam has thickened but hasn't turn pink, add a little more water and cook a little longer.)

    cooking quince for jam
    Elise Bauer
    cook quince until it turns rosy red
    Elise Bauer
  4. Ladle into jars and seal:

    Ladle into hot, sterilized canning jars* and seal. Before applying the lids, sterilize the lids by placing them in a bowl and pouring boiling water over them. Wipe the rims of the jars clean before applying the lids.

    * To sterilize the jars, rinse out the jars, dry them, and place them, without lids, in a 200°F oven for 10 minutes.

Links:

Quince jelly

Wikipedia on Quince

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
46 Calories
0g Fat
12g Carbs
0g Protein
Show Full Nutrition Label Hide Full Nutrition Label
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 80
Amount per serving
Calories 46
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 0g 0%
Saturated Fat 0g 0%
Cholesterol 0mg 0%
Sodium 1mg 0%
Total Carbohydrate 12g 4%
Dietary Fiber 0g 1%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 0g
Vitamin C 5mg 24%
Calcium 2mg 0%
Iron 0mg 0%
Potassium 26mg 1%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.