If you're new to quince fruit, you're in for a real treat! Although the fruit isn't particularly tasty as is, it's delicious when slow-cooked or roasted. Start with this Quince Preserves (quince jam) recipe, then try making quince cake and quince paste (membrillo)!
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This Quince Jam Preserves recipe is extra special to me. Not only because it reminds me of my mom, who made the best quince jam, but also because quince are not available all year round. In America, quince are available during fall and only in some states. Here in Montana, they're not available at all!
Quince jam is called Muraba't Sparijleh in Assyrian. Although mom made all kinds of jams and preserves, including fig preserves and plum preserves, quince jam was savored.
Quince fruit originate in the Middle East. They look like a combination of an apple and a pear. However, they aren't usually consumed in the same way. Quince need to be cooked for a long time. This not only brings out the flavor of the fruit but intensifies the color to a beautiful coral or amber color.
So the next time quince are in season, pick some up and make some quince preserves, quince jelly, and membrillo!
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😍 Why You'll Love This Recipe
- Quince preserve is easy to prepare and so tasty!
- It's unique enough to make a wonderful gift for family or friends.
- If processed correctly, quince preserves has a shelf-life of up to 1 year or more!
🛒 What You Need For This Recipe
🔖 Ingredients & Substitutions
- Quince: Choose ripe quince that are blemish free and have a pleasant aroma.
- Lemon Juice: You'll need the juice and zest from 1 lemon.
- Spices: I use cardamom and cinnamon in my preserves. You can do the same or use your favorite spices.
- Rose Water: Rose water is used in many Middle Eastern recipes, including quince preserves. It can be left out, if you prefer!
🫙 Helpful Tools
- Dutch oven
- 5 half pint canning jars
- Potato masher or immersion blender
- Water bath canner & tools
🍯 How to Make Quince Preserves
Step 1: Wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water and rinse. Sterilize the jars by boiling them for 10 minutes. Keep them in the hot water until needed.
Step 2: Wash and chop quince into 1" pieces. I choose not to peel the quince, but they can be peeled if you prefer a smoother texture.
Pro Tip: Later in the process, I use a handheld immersion blender to break the quince down to the consistency that I like. If you don't want to do this, you can just dice them into smaller pieces now.
Step 3: Place quince in a six-quart Dutch oven. Add enough water to completely cover the quince. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Place a strainer over a bowl and drain quince, capturing the cooking liquid. Reserve two cups of liquid. This liquid will be used in the recipe instead of plain water because quince have a lot of natural pectin. This will aid in the jelling process.
Step 5: Add quince to Dutch oven and add the remaining ingredients and the reserved liquid. Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until the syrup thickens, stirring occasionally.
Pro Tip: Keep in mind the quince preserves will thicken as it cools.
Step 6: Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims with a clean cloth, then add lids. Screw on collars, hand tight. Place the filled jars back into the boiling water bath and process the jars for 15 minutes. Adjust for atitude based on chart below.
Step 7: Use jar-lifting tongs to remove jars from the boiling water. Make sure they seal, then store in a cool dark place for up to a year.
🏔Water Bath Canning Based On Elevation
| Altitude | Gel Point |
|---|---|
| 1000'-3000' | 5 minutes |
| 3001'-6000' | 10 minutes |
| 6001'-8000' | 15 minutes |
🤷🏻♀️ Recipe FAQs
Jelly is made with fruit juice and has a firm and smooth jello-like consistency. Jam, on the other hand, is made with crushed fruit. It has an even consistency, neither too smooth nor too chunky. Preserves is chunkier than both jelly and jam. It contain large chunks of fruit.
Quince is available to purchase in fall and starts making its appearance in grocery stores usually around October.
However, not all stores carry them, so you may want to check your local farmers market or ethnic grocery stores. 
👩🏼🍳 Pro Tips
- If you prefer the consistency of jam, use an immersion blender to get the consistency you prefer.
- To avoid splatter, keep the immersion blender blade deep in the pot while using it, and make sure to turn it off before pulling it out of the preserves.
- Quince preserves should be stored in a cool, dark location for up to a year.
- If any of the jars don't seal, consume first or store in the refrigerator.
I hope you enjoy this quince jam recipe! You may also want to try making quince candy.
🍎 Related Recipes
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Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water and rinse. Sterilize the jars by boiling them for 10 minutes. Keep them in the hot water until needed.
- Wash and chop quince into 1" pieces. I choose not to peel the quince, but they can be peeled if you prefer a smoother texture.
- Place quince in a six-quart Dutch oven. Add enough water to completely cover the quince. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes.
- Place a strainer over a bowl and drain quince, capturing the cooking liquid. Reserve two cups of liquid. This liquid will be used in the recipe instead of plain water because quince have a lot of natural pectin. This will aid in the jelling process.
- Add quince to Dutch oven and add the remaining ingredients and the reserved liquid. Stir and bring to a boil over medium heat. Simmer over low heat for 30 to 40 minutes or until the syrup thickens, stirring occasionally.
- Ladle hot preserves into hot jars, leaving ½ inch headspace. Remove air bubbles, wipe jar rims with a clean cloth, then add lids. Screw on collars, hand tight. Place the filled jars back into the boiling water bath and process the jars for 15 minutes. Adjust for atitude based on chart below.
- Use jar-lifting tongs to remove jars from the boiling water. Make sure they seal, then store in a cool dark place for up to a year.
Nutrition
Notes
- If you prefer the consistency of jam, use an immersion blender to get the consistency you prefer.
- To avoid splatter, keep the immersion blender blade deep in the pot while using it, and make sure to turn it off before pulling it out of the preserves.
- Keep in mind the quince preserves will thicken as it cools.
- Quince preserves should be stored in a cool, dark location for up to a year.
- If any of the jars don't seal, consume first or store in the refrigerator.
maryam says
hello hilda!
question about storing; do you have to refrigerate these? or can it be kept in the pantry/root cellar?
trying to think of ways to preserve our many quince for storage!
thank you!
Hilda Sterner says
First of all, LUCKY! I wish I had that problem. 🙃 Now to your question, as long as they're processed in a water bath they can be stored in the pantry, otherwise they'd have to be refrigerated. Be sure to try my membrillo recipe and quince cake recipe too!
Morag says
Delicious in colour and taste, so pleased I came across your recipe ... thank you 🙏
Hilda Sterner says
Thank you so much for the review! 😘
Morag says
Hi Hilda,
My parents quince tree was fully laden of beautiful yellow fruit a few weeks ago, and I found your recipe on Pinterest.
So I decided to use it and omg it was heavenly and the taste is just like sunshine!
Just want to ask though, I’ve cut up for another batch but won’t be able to cook them for the next few days, could I put them in a pot of water and leave in the fridge do you think they’ll be ok? Not sure whether to add some lemon juice to the water too??
Anyways thank you for sharing your recipe, it will definitely be my go to when I next get a bag of quinces!!
Hilda Sterner says
I'm not sure about soaking them in water, I would think they'd soak up too much water. If possible, I would freeze them until you're ready to make jam. I'm glad you enjoyed the recipe and would love it if you gave the recipe a star rating. Thank you!
Chris says
Do you core the quince before chopping up? I hear the pectin is in the skin and the seeds.
Hilda Sterner says
Yes, I do core the quince, but I leave the skin on. If you want you can add the core in a soup bag so that you can pull it out when the jam is ready, that's another option, but not really necessary.
Susan says
Do you peel the quince?
Hilda Sterner says
Hi Susan, you can, but I don't. It's not necessary.
Melizant Havakian says
Hi, should I use cinnamon ground or stick same question about cardamom
HildaSterner says
Hi, I would use ground cardamom and ground cinnamon.
JS says
Thanks! I'll let you know how it turns out!
JS says
My neighbor gave me a big paper bag full of quince, and I'm not sure what qualifies as large. How many cups diced does 4 large quince make? I want to make sure my quince to sugar ratio is right for canning.
HildaSterner says
First, I'd like to say you're so lucky! The recipe is pretty forgiving, so it doesn't have to be exact measurements. A large quince would equal right around one cup, chopped.
Eric says
I'm excited to hear that you'll be growing these in Montana, Hilda, because I'll be placing frequent orders for quince. Hahaha...
This recipe is an instant favorite! I've been looking for quince since first seeing your post about quince jam this time last year. Just when I felt sure I'd never see any, there they were, in Walmart of all places. Like you said, quite pricey but it only took a second for them to end up in my shopping cart.
My first thought with quince was how incredible they smelled, heavenly, almost like perfume. Like you suggested in your quince paste recipe, I let them sit on the kitchen counter a few days just to enjoy their unique fragrance.
The jam recipe is quite different from my small batch fresh jam but really wasn't that hard at all, just a little more involved. But worth every minute of effort!
This is my new favorite jam, even more than fig preserves, which seems almost traitorous to say but it's true. But now, no more quince to be found, and I only have one jam jar of it left, after sharing the other jars with my parents and a friend. My friend was asking me what it tasted like, as hers was already canned and she hadn't opened it. I told her there was no way I could think of to describe it. It's unlike anything I've ever tasted before. A perfect flavor for the holidays, I told her. I love it!
Thanks for sharing this recipe with us.
HildaSterner says
Wow, Eric, thanks for such a lovely comment! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed the preserves so much. I can't believe my ears about this being better than fig jam...blasphemy,LOL! But seriously, I know what you mean about how unique the flavor is. It instantly takes me back to my childhood, when my mom used to make a similar preserves. I didn't have her recipe, so I had to come up with my own. I will definitely be shipping you some quince if and when I have that tree.. I already have the seeds saved up!
Eric says
Looking forward to it, Hilida! I bought 4 more today . I won't be sharing this batch. hahaha... Should be able to stretch it through the year until they're available again.
HildaSterner says
I'm still eating membrillo (quince paste) from last year. I'm shocked that it's lasted this long in my fridge!