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 quinces
Rub off the down from the quinces.
Core the quinces and cut them small.
Place the quinces in a preserving kettle with water.
Stew and strain
Stew gently until soft, without mashing.
Put the quinces in a thin muslin bag with the liquid and press lightly.
Make the jelly
Add a pound of sugar for each pint of liquid and stir until dissolved.
Boil gently until it reaches a jelly consistency, testing on a plate.
Pour into pots or tumblers and secure 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
- Supply pectin and acid, which help the liquid set into a firm jelly.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jelly and, as the liquid reduces, helps it set and keep.
The step that matters
Boil to jelly consistency. Boiling concentrates the sugar and pectin until the liquid sets. Stop too early and the jelly stays runny; go too long and it can turn stiff or sugary. Testing on a cold plate shows when it has set.
“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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