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
Pare, quarter, and core the quinces quickly.
Place them in part of the water for boiling, using 1 pint of water for each pound of fruit.
Simmer gently until the quinces are slightly broken, ensuring the juice remains pale.
Strain
Strain the liquid through a jelly bag or fine cloth without pressing.
Make the jelly
Weigh the juice and place it in a clean preserving pan.
Boil the juice quickly for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in the sugar until fully dissolved, stirring constantly and skimming off any scum.
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 acidity that help the jelly set.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness, helps the jelly set, and preserves it.
The step that matters
Dissolving the sugar fully. Sugar left undissolved can form crystals and make the jelly grainy. Stirring constantly off the heat dissolves it evenly and lets scum be skimmed away, so the jelly stays clear and smooth.
“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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