Why it works: Quince and sugar are a kitchen classic. They rank in the top 21% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 1,444 recipes. Both carry 1-penten-3-one, which smells fish, pungent. The science ↓
Quince Jelly
Ingredients
Directions
Prepare the juice
Cut and core the quinces.
Place them in enough water to cover and stir gently until soft.
Strain the mixture without pressure.
Make the jelly
For every pound of juice, add 1 pound of crushed sugar.
Boil the juice for 20 minutes.
Add the sugar and boil again until it jellies, about 15 minutes.
Stir and skim well throughout the process.
Strain through a thin cloth into glasses and cover when cold.
Transcribed from a scanned cookbook and modernised for today's kitchens. Where the book gave no heat or time, or said "a moderate oven", the temperatures and times here may be modern equivalents rather than the book's own figures.
Photo for illustrative purposes only · Contact us to use it
Explore the science
The flavor team
The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.
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Quince + sugartop 21% of all pairsSmell alikemoderateCooked together1,444 recipes
Shared aroma: 1-penten-3-one (fish, pungent).
Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs
What each ingredient does
- Quinces
- Provide the pectin and tart flavour that give the jelly its set and character.
- Crushed sugar
- Sweetens the juice and, when boiled, helps the jelly set firm and keep.
The step that matters
Boiling the juice with sugar until it jellies. Boiling must be continued until the mixture reaches the setting point. Undercooked jelly stays runny, while overcooked jelly can turn dark and lose flavour. Skimming throughout keeps the jelly clear.
“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.
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