Dulce de membrillo is the perfect accompaniment to Manchego cheese.
If I lived in Spain I would eat this every day.
Not familiar with quince?
Elise Bauer
It’s a hard fruit that looks sort of like a cross between an apple and a pear.
Most varieties you’re free to’t eat raw, only cooked.
They cook up pink and have a wonderful sweet floral aroma.
Elise Bauer
Like apples and pears, they’re in season during the fall.
To fix, I emptied the quince paste into a large pyrex bowl and put in the microwave.
I cooked it on high in 5 minute increments for 20 minutes.
Elise Bauer
During the last minute one of the edges started to caramelize and turn brown.
I discarded the browned parts and returned the rest to a newly lined baking dish.
Back into the oven for an hour and it was done to perfection.
Elise Bauer
Add the vanilla pod and lemon peel and bring to a boil.
Strain the water from the quince pieces.
Discard the vanilla pod but keep the lemon peel with the quince.
Elise Bauer
Puree the quince pieces in a food processor, blender, or by using a food mill.
Measure the quince puree.
Whatever amount of quince puree you have, that’s how much sugar you will need.
Elise Bauer
So if you have 4 cups of puree, you’ll need 4 cups of sugar.
Return the quince puree to the large pan.
Stir with a wooden spoon until the sugar has completely dissolved.
Elise Bauer
Add the lemon juice.
Smooth out the top of the paste so it is even.
Place the membrillo paste in the 125F oven for an hour or longer to help it dry out.
Elise Bauer
(If you have a convection or fan setting for your oven, use it.)
Remove from oven and let cool.
To serve, cut into squares or wedges and present with Manchego cheese.
Elise Bauer
Store by wrapping in foil or plastic wrap, an keeping in the refrigerator.
Elise Bauer
