A popular Spanish sweet treat, Quince Paste (Membrillo) is prepared with quince fruit and sugar to make a delicious jelly. The jelly is sliced and served with manchego cheese and wine, making this quince paste recipe an excellent addition to any fall charcuterie board!
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Quince paste goes by many names including membrillo in Spain and Mexico, marmelada in Portugal, and cotognata in Italy. It's also called quince cheese and quince candy.
There are a few different ways to prepare quince paste, on the stovetop, in the oven, or a combination of the two. I personally prefer cooking the quince paste on the stovetop.
Quince fruit is best when cooked for many hours. This not only deepens the flavor, but transforms the fruit into a beautiful deep coral color. This makes recipes like quince jam and quince paste an ideal way to enjoy the flavor of quince.
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quince paste/membrillo is absolutely delicious and something I always look forward to making when quince are in season.
- This is a relatively fool-proof recipe.
- Membrillo lasts forever... ok, not really, but just about!
- It's great for gifting!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Quince: Choose ripe, fragrant quince and make sure they don't have blemishes or bruises.
- Sugar: Granulated sugar
- Vanilla: This recipe calls for one vanilla bean, however, vanilla extract may be substituted.
- Lemon Juice: Fresh or bottled lemon juice.
🥄 How to Make Quince Paste (Membrillo)
Step 1: Butter an 8" x 8" or 5" x 7" ceramic pan and set aside. Chop the quince into chunks and add to a large pot.
Step 2: Cover quince with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Simmer, covered, over low heat for 30 minutes, or until the fruit is fork-tender.
Step 3: Strain cooked quince, then puree tin a food processor or with an immersion blender until you achieve an applesauce-like consistency.
Step 4: Using a kitchen scale, weigh the quince puree, then add it back into the empty pot.
Step 5: Weigh out an equal amount of sugar and add to the quince.
Step 6: Stir over low-medium heat until the sugar liquifies. Slit the vanilla bean down the center and add to the same pot.
Step 7: Stir frequently while cooking. The color of the quince will deepen the longer it cooks.
Step 8: After about an hour of cooking, remove vanilla bean and stir in the lemon juice. Continue to cook the quince paste, stirring frequently, for an additional hour. Using a spatula, transfer the mixture into the prepared pan.
Step 9: Refrigerate quince paste for a couple of hours until it sets. To serve, slice and serve with manchego cheese, crackers and wine.
Quince Jelly Candy
Another way to enjoy membrillo is to transform it into cubes of quince jelly candy. You might say it's the Spanish version of Turkish Delight.
After the membrillo is set, slice the jelly into cubes and dip into white sugar to make quince jelly candy.
Yet another option is to roll the quince jelly cubes in roasted ground almonds or even toasted coconut. Feel free to store the candy in your favorite tin. If stored in the refrigerator, wrap with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out. It will keep for up to a year or more!
Quince Cost and Availability
When I finally found quince last week, I bought four at $2.29 each... totally worth it! Quince is definitely on the pricey side, and available for a short time in late Fall.
A few weeks later, I found quince for $1.99 a pound. I even found some at a different grocery store for $1.49 each. So if you don't want to spend more than necessary, be sure to price them at a few different stores.
If you do end up buying quince fruit, do yourself a favor and leave them on the counter for a few days. In this way, you can enjoy their heavenly scent for a few days as they ripen further. If you have more quince, make sure you make some Quince Jam, and Quince Cake!
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Quince was cultivated in the Mesopotamian Plains, and was known to the Akkadian people as "supurgillu." Assyrians call quince "sparijleh," can you see the similarity?
There is a good explanation for the similarity in names. After the fall of the Akkadian Empire (around 2150 B.C.), the Akkadian people were formed into two separate groups: Assyria to the north and Babylon to the south. So, once again, we can trace an Assyrian connection!
Membrillo is a thick jelly made with quince, sugar, lemon juice, and occasionally, vanilla. Quince fruit is cooked down, pureed, then simmered with sugar and other flavorings.
Once set, the delicious thick paste is cut into cubes or strips. Quince Cheese is commonly served with cheese, crackers, dried fruit, and wine.
Quince is very astringent (due to its high tannin content) but it's also tough and woody. This is why quince is usually cooked before being consumed. However, as quince continues to ripen, it is more edible raw, but the dry texture still can't be compared to an apple or a pear.
Membrillo can last up to a year and taste just as delicious. To store the membrillo, just wrap it in saran wrap and store it in the fridge.
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- When buying quince, make sure they are blemish-free, firm, with a little give.
- You can choose to peel the quince or leave it as is. It's a matter of preference, however, I leave them unpeeled.
- If you don't have a kitchen scale, four large quince weigh approximately two pounds. Two pounds of sugar equals four cups. So for every two quince, use two cups of sugar.
- The longer you cook the quince puree mix, the deeper the color and flavor will become.
- To make unmolding the prepared membrillo easier, either butter the pan before pouring the cooked puree into it, or line with parchment paper first. Another option is to use a rubber or plastic container with flexible sides.
- Keep membrillo wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge. It will last over a year. It can also be stored at room temperature.
🔖 Related Recipes
If you enjoy this quince paste recipe, check out these related recipes!
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Butter an 8" x 8" or 5" x 7" ceramic pan. Set aside. Chop the quince into chunks.
- Place chopped quince in a six-quart pot and cover with water. Bring to a boil and cook, covered, for 30 minutes, or until the fruit is fork-tender and drain into a strainer.
- Puree the quince in a food processor until you achieve an applesauce consistency.
- Using a kitchen scale, weigh the quince puree, then add it back into the empty pot. Weigh out an equal amount of sugar and add to the quince.
- Stir over low-medium heat until the sugar liquifies. Slit the vanilla bean down the center and add to the same pot, or use vanilla extract.
- Stir frequently while cooking. You will notice that the color of the quince will begin to deepen the longer it cooks.
- After about an hour of cooking, remove the vanilla bean and stir in the lemon juice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently, for an additional hour. Using a spatula, transfer the mixture into the prepared pan.
- Refrigerate the quince paste for a couple of hours until it sets. To serve, cut into squares and serve with Manchego cheese, crackers, and wine if desired.
Nutrition
Video
Notes
- When buying quince, make sure they are blemish-free, firm, with a little give.
- You can choose to peel the quince or leave it as is. It's a matter of preference, however, I leave them unpeeled.
- If you don't have a kitchen scale, four large quince weigh approximately two pounds. Two pounds of sugar equals four cups. So for every two quince, use two cups of sugar.
- The longer you cook the quince puree mix, the deeper the color and flavor will become.
- To make unmolding the prepared membrillo easier, either butter the pan before pouring the cooked puree into it, or line with parchment paper first. Another option is to use a rubber or plastic container with flexible sides.
- Keep membrillo wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge. It will last over a year. Slice as needed.
Chris Kuenster says
I have my own Quince tree, and when they are ripe you can smell the tree almost a mile away, and its an amazing aroma. I have 30 varieties of fruit trees and nothing compares to a Quince. Unfortunately there arent a lot of things to do with a Quince.
Hilda Sterner says
I am so jealous! I wish I could grow them in Montana. I have 3 quince recipes on my blog, plus I think I remember a quince soup my mom used to make, but will need to confirm with my aunt.
Rodney Oien says
If you find that quince soup please share. We have a beautiful pineapple quince and they are so fragrant. I try to make this quince paste, or dulce de membrillo (candied quince) every year.
I think your recipe is great. Most don't call for vanilla but I think it is essential.
Thanks
Hilda Sterner says
Thanks, Rodney. I agree about the vanilla. I'll do a little more research about the soup recipe. The problem is I can't get my hands on quince in Montana. 🥲