Pela segunda vez na vida fiz marmelada, como a primeira vez não correu muito bem, acabei por me decidir pelo clássico Pantagruel. Quanto aos recipientes, optei pelas clássicas taças de pequeno almoço.
For the second time in my life I made "quince cheese". The recipe I followed comes from a classic Portuguese cookery book called Pantagruel. As for containers, I used the classic breakfast bowls.
Quince cheese, the Portuguese way
Quinces: 2 kg
Granulated sugar: 1,2 kg
Wash quinces but don't peel or core them (if you touch them with a knife, they'll oxidise and darken). Cover with water and boil until fruit is soft.
Drain the water and let the fruit cool down. Once the quinces aren't hot anymore, peel and core them using either your fingers or a wooden/plastic knife.
Process the pulp using a moulior a hand blender until smooth.
Meanwhile, put the sugar in a pan and cover with 400 ml water. Bring it to a boil and stir until it has dissolved. Let it boil until you reach soft-ball stage (when you drop the syrup into cold water it forms a soft, flexible ball - approx. 120ºC/235º-240º F).
Add the quince pulp to the syrup and stir with a wooden spoon. The mixture will be ready when you scrape the spoon through it and you will be able to see the base of the pan for a couple of seconds. When it has reached this stage, remove the pan from the heat and keep stirring until it's completely cool.
Pour into clean bowls (porcelain, enamel or terracotta). Place the bowls on a windowsill and cover them with muslin. Let the paste dry for at least a week. It will keep for a year inside an airing cupboard.
