Baked quinces are a great, simple fall dessert. Quince is like an apple or pear, but the flesh is very hard and has a tart, astringent flavor.
The quince is not a very popular fruit in the West, but can be found in many supermarkets and at some farmer's markets. While some may be more familiar with membrillo or quince paste, the fruit itself is wonderful, but is usually overwhelmingly tart when eaten raw. It also tends to be very hard and can be acrid in its raw form.
However, when cooked, it transforms and becomes a tender, delicious fruit that is wholly unique in flavor, texture, and aroma. It blends beautifully with apple and pear, is super fragrant, and is naturally high in pectin. It's also delicious with vanilla or warming spices. While it's certainly not the most ubiquitous fruit, there is now no better time than now to acquaint yourself with it.
Quince is also fantastic when eaten in savory contexts, but in this case, it becomes a delectable dessert that can be enjoyed in myriad of ways.
"I had never cooked or eaten quinces before, and this recipe was easy and delicious. The cores are quite hard, but I found an apple corer helpful. Baking is a simple and excellent way to enjoy fresh quinces. They would be great with some cinnamon or a warm spice blend as well." —Diana Rattray
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc()/baked-quince-recipe-2355425-diana-rattray-2022-2f7b568129f24d1398a77506741b6bdd.jpg "How to Make Baked Quince (1)")
A Note From Our Recipe Tester
Ingredients
4 quinces, peeled, cored, and cut in half
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup hot water
Steps to Make It
Gather the ingredients. Preheat oven to 350 F.
Place the quince halves in a 9-by-12-inch baking dish, cut-side up. Top each quince half with 1 tablespoon of butter and sprinkle with 2 tablespoons of sugar. Pour the hot water around the quince halves without disturbing the topping.
Bake in the preheated oven until the quinces are a golden color and soft, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the baking dish to a rack and let stand for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with ice cream, whipped cream, custard sauce, or with the cooking liquids.
Tips
- To keep the quince halves from browning as you prepare them, brush with lemon juice.
- A pitting spoon is handy for removing the tough cores. Or try using an apple corer, peach pitter, or melon baller.
Recipe Variations
- Replace all or part of the water with apple juice or apple cider.
- For a warm spice flavor, combine the sugar with 2 to 3 tablespoons of ground cinnamon.
- For caramel flavor notes, replace the granulated sugar with brown sugar.
How to Store Baked Quinces
- Refrigerate baked quince halves with the juices in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
- To freeze the baked quince halves, transfer them to a freezer container or food storage bag and add the liquids. Label the container with the name and date and freeze the quinces for up to12 months. Defrost frozen quinces in the fridge overnight.
| Nutrition Facts (per serving) | |
|---|---|
| 253 | Calories |
| 12g | Fat |
| 39g | Carbs |
| 1g | Protein |
Show Full Nutrition Label
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| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 8 | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 253 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 12g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat 7g | 36% |
| Cholesterol 31mg | 10% |
| Sodium 5mg | 0% |
| Total Carbohydrate 39g | 14% |
| Dietary Fiber 2g | 7% |
| Total Sugars 33g | |
| Protein 1g | |
| Vitamin C 38mg | 189% |
| Calcium 19mg | 1% |
| Iron 0mg | 2% |
| Potassium 209mg | 4% |
| *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.)
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