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
The book gives no cooking times; the times in the steps were added in transcription, so check for doneness rather than trusting the clock.
Prepare the quinces
Wash and quarter the quinces, leaving the skins on.
Place the quinces in a pot and cover with water.
Simmer until the quinces are soft, about 1-2 hours.
Make the jelly
Strain the liquid through a cheesecloth into a clean pot.
Add an equal amount of sugar to the liquid and stir until dissolved.
Boil the mixture until it reaches the jelly stage, about 15-20 minutes.
Pour into sterilized jars and seal.
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.
- Sugar
- Sweetens the jelly and helps it set firm and keep well.
The step that matters
Boiling to the jelly stage. Boiling until the mixture reaches the jelly stage concentrates the sugar and pectin enough to set. Stopping too early leaves a runny result, while boiling too long can make the jelly stiff and dull in flavour.
“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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