POACHED QUINCE
Poached quince will last in the fridge for up to a week. Great for breakfast with cereal or French toast, fantastic braised with pork and can be added to any number of puddings. I like to place the poached quince in the bottom of a pan with a little syrup and then cover snuggly with flaky pastry and bake. Turn over when cooked and you have a quince tart tartin!
7 cups water
1 cup sugar
1 lemon (preferably unsprayed), cut in half
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
6 large, or 8 medium, quince
While the liquid is heating, quarter, peel, and remove the cores of the quince. Make sure to removed anything tough or fibrous, being very careful with the knife.
As you peel and prepare the quince quarters, slip each one into the simmering liquid. Once they’re all done, cover the pot with a round of parchment paper with a walnut-sized hole cut in the center and place it on top as this will ensure that they stay submerged or they will discolour.
Simmer the quince (do not boil) for at least an hour, until the quince are cooked through.
Cooking time will vary, depending on the quince. They’re done when they are cooked through, which you can do by piercing one with the tip of a sharp paring knife. It’s not unusual for them to take up to 2 hours, or more.
Serve warm, or at room temperature. To store, pour the quince and their liquid into a storage container and refrigerate for up to one week.
