Quince - Description
Quince is the name of the tree of the same name, as well as its fruit. This is one of the oldest crops grown by man. Nowadays, quince is cultivated almost all over the world. It is found in the Caucasus, Crimea, Central Asia, Europe, Africa, America, Australia, and also on the islands of Oceania. It grows on the edges, in forests and on the slopes of the lower mountain belt, rising to a height of up to 1400 meters. He loves deep and loose, moist and fertile soil.
The most fruitful quince grows on heavy loam, and earlier it begins to bear fruit on sandy soils. On dry soils, the fruits grow smaller and drier, and on wet soils they are astringent and woody, but more juicy. The fruits of cultivated trees can reach 2 kg of weight, and wild - from 60 to 100 grams. Wild quince fruiting less intensively, up to 10 fruits per plant.
Quince even with a ripe form is very difficult to eat raw. Its fruits have a spherical shape, or the shape of a pear. Depending on the plant variety, quince can have all shades of yellow. The peel is covered with thick small villi, and the flesh consists of many stony cells, which makes it very tough, slightly succulent, astringent, sweetish in taste. The seeds are brown, there are a lot of them, more than in an apple.
Quince - useful properties
All varieties of quince, thanks to a number of useful properties, favorably affect the human psyche, improve mood, invigorate. Its composition includes sodium and potassium, malic and citric acids, as well as pectin substances. Juice from ripe fruits has antiseptic, astringent, diuretic and restorative properties.
Quince is rich in vitamins and a number of micro and macro elements. Quince pulp has a fixing effect, therefore it is useful for diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Quince juice helps alleviate the condition of asthmatics. Also, the fruits are used for diseases of the ears. Quince seeds and fruits themselves are used in cosmetology.
At home, it is possible to prepare tonics, masks and lotions for oily skin. If you add vegetable or animal fats, yolk or starch, you can use it for normal and dry skin. An effective anti-inflammatory agent is mucus obtained from seeds by boiling or insisting. It is also suitable for the treatment of oily seborrhea of the head and burns.
Quince - contraindications
To prepare the mucous infusion of quince seeds, they can not be crushed. They contain the toxic amygdalin glycoside. Also, quince can not be used for constipation and pleurisy. In addition, tart fruit is harmful to the voice and larynx.
Quince - calories
Calories of Quince: 40 kcal per 100 grams
Quince - cooking use
Due to the astringent taste and very coarse pulp, the aromatic quince fruit is practically not consumed fresh, unless by connoisseurs as an additive to tea instead of lemon. This tea tastes better. Quince is widely used in the culinary of many countries. Included in elite white wines (Chenin Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and even Hardonnay.)
Quince slices are added to cabbage soup or borsch, they give a unique sour taste. Since ancient Greek times, quince was baked with honey, in the eastern cuisine the fruit began with ground beef or beans. After heat treatment, quince is used as a side dish for poultry or meat, and also as a seasoning for cooking national dishes, such as pilaf, beef and quince soup, bozbash (from lamb) and many others.
It is also used to flavor desserts and sweet dishes, compotes are prepared, juices, and jam are cooked. The quince laid in the course of preparation of the dishes gives them a sour taste and sophisticated aroma. The normal dose of quince per serving is 30-50 grams.
Quince recipes examples
Recipe 1: Quince Jam
Quince jam is similar to pear, but has a brighter flavor. It is recommended to boil it using syrup so that it is not too thick.
Ingredients: quince (400 grams), water (1.5 cups), sugar (4 cups).
Cooking method
Peel the quince from the skin and seeds, cut into cubes, put in a basin, fill with water (cold), cover the quince, cook until half ready. Then carefully fold it onto a sieve and let the water drain. Strain this water. Weigh quince and for every 400 grams take one and a half glasses of water, with which it was boiled, and 4 glasses of sugar. Prepare the syrup, boiling it until thick, and add the quince. Let the jam boil several times over high heat, removing each time from the stove for several minutes, removing the foam and shaking the bowl. Boil over low heat until quince is transparent.
Recipe 2: Braised Pork with Quince
Great pork dish. Tender meat becomes juicy and aromatic, has a more saturated taste. The meat is fried, then slowly stewed with onions and quinces until cooked.
Ingredients: pork fillet (1 kg), quince (800 g), 4 onions, salt, pepper, vegetable or ghee (to taste).
Cooking method
In a hot frying pan in one piece, fry the fillet on all sides in oil until a golden crust appears. Transfer the meat to a saucepan, add a small amount of hot water so as not to overdry it, simmer until half cooked. In the fat remaining after frying the meat, fry the onion rings and add it to the meat. As the liquid boils, add hot water and periodically turn the meat over. When the pork is almost ready, put the peeled (without core and peel) and chopped quince. Serve the meat by slicing it into thin slices, with onions and quinces, as well as the juice that formed during cooking.
Recipe 3: Quince Dessert with Cinnamon
Baked quince with cinnamon in the oven. An original and very simple recipe. You can replace fortified wine with any fruit liquor or sweet red wine. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream.
Ingredients: quinces -3 pieces, cloves -6 pieces, water -1.5 cups, fortified wine (fruit liquor) - 0.5 cups, cinnamon sticks - 3 pieces, sugar - 1/3 cup, whipped cream (optional).
Cooking method
Wash, wash, cut into halves and remove the middle from the unpeeled quince. Put the halves in a baking dish (convex side up). Insert a clove into each piece. Add wine, water, cinnamon sticks to the pan and sprinkle with sugar. Bake quince for 35-40 minutes at a temperature of 190 degrees, until it begins to brown. Then turn the pieces over and bake until it softens for about 10 minutes. Let the quince cool slightly, then take out the cloves, arrange them in portions and pour the syrup formed in the baking dish. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
Recipe 4: Cold Quince Dessert
A delicious dessert, but will require many ingredients. But as a result, you can surprise your friends. Perfect for a romantic candlelight dinner, as it contains a significant amount of liquor.
Ingredients: Quince (2pcs), cottage cheese (200g. 5%), lemon (1pcs), strawberries (1 glass), mango (1pcs), cognac (100 ml. + 50 for watering), walnuts (half a glass), coffee and liquor milk (200ml).
Cooking method
Wash the quince, cut into two parts and remove the core with a spoon. With a toothpick or other thin and sharp object, make many quills on the quince. Pour cognac and let it brew for about 10-20 minutes, fill the middle of half quince with walnuts with cottage cheese, sprinkle cognac with lemon juice, cover with the second half of quince. Wrap it in foil and place in a preheated oven (180 degrees) for about 45 minutes. Then let it cool and set it to cool.
After this, mix the cottage cheese with liquor and put it in a freezer to set. In a blender, beat the pulp of a mango and also put in the freezer for about half an hour. Wash the strawberries and peel them off, beat in a blender and send to the freezer to the rest of the ingredients. Put frozen cottage cheese in a bowl, top with quince with fruit puree and nuts, pour cognac. Dessert is ready, be surprised, bon appetit!
Quince - useful tips from experienced chefs
Quince juice is a rarity. It is prepared from ripe fruits harvested closer to the fall. For the preparation of quince juice, not all varieties of this plant are suitable. Only nutmeg varieties will produce a tasty and aromatic drink. At home, it can be very simple to cook, having the right equipment. Unusual quince juice also lies in the fact that it should not be prepared from freshly picked fruits, they must be left to "ripen" for 10-25 days. In such fruits, the biological activity increases several times. Quince juice goes well with apple, thick peach, apricot and banana juices.
