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 slice the quinces, then place them in a preserving pan with enough water to cover them.
Boil the quinces until tender and reduced to a pulp.
Strain the mixture to extract the clear juice.
Make the jelly
For each pint of juice, add 1 lb of loaf sugar and boil together for about 30 minutes.
Skim off any scum that rises to the surface.
To test if the jelly is done, pour a little on a plate; if it firms up, it's ready.
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 the pectin and tart flavor that allow the juice to set into a jelly.
- Loaf sugar
- Sweetens the jelly and helps it set firm when boiled with the juice.
The step that matters
Testing for set. Quince juice must reach the right concentration to gel. Boiling too briefly leaves it runny, while overcooking can make it stiff. A cold plate test shows whether 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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