The Quickest Quince Paste

The traditional method for making Quince Paste can take hours and hours on the stovetop. My method cuts through that long-winded boring-a** version in a flash using the kitchen’s time saver - the pressure cooker.

For this recipe, you only need 2 ingredients. Quinces and Sugar.

To start, wipe the fuzz off about 5-6 Quinces with clean cloth.  Chop in half, then roughly into small chunks (about 1-2cm pieces). Make sure you chop the whole fruit, including the skin and seeds. Remove any bruised or yucky bits and place the fruit in the pressure cooker. Add about 1 cup of water to the pot. Place the lid on, close the vent and cook on Manual for 20 minutes.

After it has finished cooking, release the pressure and remove the lid. The Quince will look a beautiful bright apricot colour, it will be soft and viscous already and the water will have taken on a gorgeous warm hue.

Ladle everything in the pot through a Mouli. The Mouli will pulp the flesh of the Quince and capture all the seeds and skin. You’ll be left with the Quince pulp and juice. Weigh this as we’ll add the same quantity of Sugar.

Pop the Quince and juice back into the pressure cooker pot and add the Sugar. Set the cooker to Sauté and cook in 20-minute bursts. At this point, pop a plate into the freezer to test for set later.

When the Quince mix starts to bubble and create a mess, place a wooden spoon across the top of the pressure cooker and rest the lid over the top.  This should reduce the amount of bubbling hot lava splatter escaping the pot. 

For this quantity of Quince, I did 3 lots of 20-minute bursts until it became a rich, dark, thick liquid that slakes off the spoon.  To test for set, bring out the frozen plate and place a teaspoon of Quince Paste on top.  Allow the liquid to cool on the plate, then run your finger through the mixture. If it parts like the red sea without pooling back on itself, it’s ready. If it runs back on itself, cook it a little longer before testing again.

I like to preserve Quince Paste in small jars as preserving this way allows it to sit on the shelf for a good 2 years. Ladle your Quince Paste into clean, dry jars to within 1/2cm from the top. Screw on the lid and place the jar upside down for 3 minutes to sterilize the lid. After 3 minutes, turn it right-way up to avoid it setting in the lid.

You can download a free copy of this recipe using the button below. You can also check out my YouTube video for step-by-step instructions for this Quickest Quince Paste recipe.