Made with peak-season quince, this radiant jelly is a taste of nature’s treasure. 

Quince jelly

Makes about 1L

Start this recipe at least 7 day beforehand to ensure enough time for straining.

Ingredients

1kg quince, washed, cored and quartered (peel on)
4½ cups (900g) white sugar
3 Tbsp lemon juice  

Method

1. Place quince in a large pot over the stove and cover with water. 
2. Bring to a rapid boil, then reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 45 minutes until fruit is completely soft. 
3. Place a large piece of muslin cloth (or a clean, thin designated kitchen towel) over a deep pot or bowl, spoon entire contents of pot (fruit and liquid) into it. 
4. Bring the ends of the cloth together and tie tightly using a piece of string. 
5. Find a place to securely tie the cloth so that it can hang. Keep the bowl underneath the hanging cloth to catch all the juice straining out from it. For an extra layer of straining, place a fine mesh sieve over the pot. 
6. Leave to strain for 8 hours, or overnight, resisting the urge to squeeze any liquid from the bag, as this will create cloudy jelly. 
7. The following day, remove bag from its hanging post and discard the pulp. 
8. Measure how many cups of liquid you have, for every cup you’ll need ¾ cup of white sugar. We had 1.5 L of juice, so we added 4.5 cups of sugar, along with the lemon juice. 
9. Heat the mixture gently, stirring to dissolve sugar, careful to not boil the mixture. 
10. Once sugar has completely dissolved, turn up the heat and boil your juice until it reaches 104-107°C on a sugar thermometer, about 40 minutes. (See cook’s note.) The juice will turn from a pale orange to a bright red. 
11. Remove from the heat and carefully decant into sterilised glass jars (or silicone moulds if serving within a few days). 
12. If placing in jars, immediately seal tightly with a lid and rest at room temperature until completely cool. Sealed jars can be kept in a cool, dry place for up to 1 year. Open jars need to be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks. 

Good to know 
If you don’t have a sugar thermometer, boil mixture as instructed for 35-40 minutes, then spoon 1 Tbsp of liquid onto a freezer-cold plate. After 30 seconds, the jelly should be set and stable. If it runs, it’s not ready. Continue to boil, checking every 5 minutes with the cold plate test.  

Pectin perfection  

There are many uses for this delectable jelly:  

• Add a bowl to a charcuterie board. 
• Melt and brush onto freshly baked sweet tarts. 
• Brush onto a blind baked tart shell to prevent sogginess. 
• Lather onto a sandwich with sharp cheese. 
• Serve as a condiment with roast chicken or pork.

By: Sjaan van der Ploeg
Photography by: Zhann Solomons

Also read: Sour fig jam recipe

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