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.
Cut them into small pieces.
Place the quinces in a preserving kettle with 4 cups of water.
Extract the juice
Stew gently until soft, without mashing.
Put the mixture in a thin muslin bag.
Press lightly to extract the juice.
Add 1 pound of sugar for each pint of juice and stir until dissolved.
Set and jar
Boil the mixture gently until it reaches a jelly consistency.
Pour into pots or tumblers.
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.
-
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
- Their natural pectin and acid provide the structure that lets the juice set into a jelly.
- Sugar
- Adds sweetness, helps the jelly set, and preserves the finished product.
The step that matters
Boil until the jelly consistency is reached. Boiling drives off water and concentrates the sugar and pectin so the juice gels when cooled. Too little boiling leaves it runny, while too much can make it stiff or caramelised.
“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.
You might also like
White Cake431 recipes
Pound Cake373 recipes
Orange Bundt Cake349 recipes
Spice Cake344 recipesThe free Flavor Lab newsletter: one surprising pairing a week and the molecular reason it works, in 60 seconds. No spam, unsubscribe anytime.
Prefer an account? Create a free account to save pairings and unlock the full chemistry.