Quince Apple Ginger Jam: small batch, big flavors

 I have a New Year's resolution, even though the new year is a month away. I vow to show more restraint when making preserves. In other words, more small batches!

It's easy for me to get caught up in larger batches of preserves when I'm looking at a 30 pound box of fruit, but today I'm being more realistic.

It's my gift to those of you who write to me and ask: "I have ONE quince...now what should I do with it?" 

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All Quinces, great and small

This is the time of year when quince are at their finest, be they commercially-grown, like the "Pineapple Quince" in the middle or wild, like the smaller ones.

My neighbor has a little quince bush that's been fruiting for decades. You can smell its sweet blossoms in the spring from 20 feet away, but the scent of the blossoms pale in comparison to the way the diminutive golden quince fruits perfume the chilly air in the months of October and November.

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"Hi, my name is Brook and I like to eat paste..."

Quince paste that's been allowed to jell in individual ring molds.

"...quince paste, that is!"

According to WiseGeek, Quince Paste, also known as Membrillo, is "a thick jam made from the fruit of a quince tree. This richly colored  orange-red jam has a sweet taste and a slightly floral flavor, and it is extremely popular in Southern Europe and the Middle East. Outside of these regions, quince paste can be somewhat harder to obtain, and it may be viewed as a delicacy, with a corresponding high price."

Quince Paste is commonly offered with breakfast, spread on breads. It can also be used to accompany roast meats and other dishes, with its sweet, floral flavor complementing a range of foods. In Spain, quince paste & Manchego cheese is a very popular snack, with some people considering it the national dish of Spain...

Fresh bread, Manchego cheese, quince paste and Marcona almonds.

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