Quince Jam
Quince jam is a fragrant, rose-scented preserve that sets on the quince's own pectin, with no boxed pectin in the jar. The quince cook down from hard and pale to soft and rosy pink before the sugar goes in.
Servings: 40 servings, makes about 5 half pint jars
Equipment
- Canning Jars, Lids and Bands
Ingredients
- 7 cups quince cored and chopped, peeling optional
- 2 to 3 cups sugar
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- Water a little to start, plus more as needed
Instructions
- Prepare a water bath canner, jars, and lids, with the canner water at about 180 degrees F.
- Wash the quince, core it the way you would an apple, and cut it into 1/2 to 1 inch pieces. Peel it if you like.
- Put the quince in a saucepan with a bit of water. Simmer and stir until it falls apart and turns from white to rosy pink, about 30 to 45 minutes, adding more water if the pan starts to run dry. Don't drain off the cooking liquid.
- Stir to break up the quince, or use an immersion blender if you left the peels on.
- Add the lemon juice and sugar, to taste, and stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Keep cooking, stirring often, until the jam thickens and reaches the gel stage.
- Ladle the hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe the rims and apply the lids fingertip tight.
- Process half pints in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude (see notes).
- Turn off the heat, take the lid off the canner, and let the jars sit in the water for 5 minutes before lifting them out onto a towel.
- Cool 12 to 24 hours, then check the seals.
Notes
Peeling: Optional. I peel mine, but leaving the peels on keeps more of the pectin and gives the jam a rosier color and flavor. Unpeeled quince needs an immersion blender to break up the peels.
Cooking liquid: Don't drain it off. Much of the quince's pectin is in that liquid.
Pulp from quince jelly: About 4 cups of cooked, drained pulp makes one batch. It has already given up some of its pectin, so expect a softer set. If the quince wasn't peeled and cored for the jelly, run the pulp through a food mill first.
Sugar: Use 3 cups for a sweeter jam or 2 cups for a more tart one.
Pectin: No added pectin. Quince is naturally rich in pectin.
Spices: Cinnamon, allspice, cardamom, nutmeg, ginger or vanilla can go in with the sugar. Remove cardamom pods before jarring.
Canning optional: Keeps several weeks in the refrigerator, or up to 6 months in the freezer. Use straight-sided freezer-safe jars and leave 1 inch of headspace, since the jam expands as it freezes.
Altitude adjustments: Processing time for half pints in a water bath canner.
- 0 to 6,000 feet: 10 minutes
- Above 6,000 feet: 15 minutes
Nutrition
Calories: 62kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 0.2g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.005g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.02g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 2mg | Potassium: 83mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 17IU | Vitamin C: 7mg | Calcium: 5mg | Iron: 0.3mg