Welcome to Day 8 of your Advent Calendar! Make sure you’re subscribed to get your daily holiday recipe(s)… Expect each recipe to be quick, easy to whip up, and a fun way to spend a morning or afternoon. Instead of bringing a bottle of wine to a holiday dinner, perhaps bring a homemade delicious gift instead this year?
I get it - making jelly is way more intimidating than making jam. I won’t lie to you, it’s definitely a bit trickier as well! Mainly because it requires more patience and self restraint but I promise you, you can DO IT. The finished result is way more satisfying than jam because your end result is glossy, see through, jiggly, and just gorgeous?
The easiest jellies to make in my opinion are apple and quince because of their natural levels of pectin. No need to add in any gelatin or agar-agar, the jelly will just set on its own due to the fruit’s properties. How MAGICAL!
What’s the Deal With Quince?
I grew up with a quince tree in my backyard in LA and currently have one at the mills in France. They’re extremely fragrant; so much so that you can fill a room with their aroma simply by placing them on a table.
Quince are such fun fruit because when cooked, their white/yellowish flesh turns bright RED. This is due to the presence of pigmented anthocyanins, which are basically just molecules that can give a plant a red, blue, or purple color. In this case, it’s red and it only gets triggered once the fruit is cooked.
Quince are extremely bitter and tannic when eaten raw. There are certain varieties that are absolutely delicious raw once you slightly pound them on a table to release flavor, but it’s definitely an acquired taste. When cooked, quince taste like a mix between an apple and a pear, warmed with some spiced flavor similar to cinnamon.
Quince Jelly
I love making giant batches of the jelly at home to enjoy once the season changes and the fruit is no longer available.
