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 quince
Cut the quinces into small pieces.
Combine the quinces and water in a pot and boil slowly until the fruit is mashed, keeping it covered.
Allow about one-third of the water to boil away.
Strain the mixture through a jelly bag.
Make the jelly
For every pint of liquid, add 1 pound of sugar.
Transfer to a preserving pan and boil until thickened.
Cool until it can be removed from the mold.
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 liquid set into a jelly.
- Fine white sugar
- Sweetens the jelly and helps it set firm when boiled down.
The step that matters
Boil until thickened. Quince jelly sets only when enough water evaporates and the sugar concentration rises high enough. Under-boiling leaves a runny result, while over-boiling can make it tough or sticky.
“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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