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
Pare and core the quinces, placing them in cold water as you work.
Put the quinces in a preserving kettle and cover with water.
Boil until tender.
Pour the fruit and water into a sieve over a pan and let it drain without mashing the fruit.
Strain the juice through a jelly bag.
Make and set the jelly
For each pint of juice, add 1 pound of sugar and ¼ ounce of dissolved isinglass for every 5 pounds of sugar.
Heat the mixture over the fire, boiling and skimming until a jelly forms.
Test the jelly by dropping a little into cold water; if it sinks without mingling, it's done.
Pour the jelly into glasses when lukewarm and let them cool uncovered.
Cover with brandy paper and paste paper over the top.
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 let the juice set into a jelly.
- White sugar
- Sweetens the jelly and helps it set firm and hold its shape.
- Isinglass
- Gelatin-like protein that adds extra setting power to the jelly.
The step that matters
Testing for the set. Boiling must continue until the jelly is concentrated enough to set. Too little boiling leaves it runny, while overcooking makes it stiff and dull. The cold-water test shows when the pectin and sugar have reached the right balance.
“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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