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Thursday, September 18, 2014

Dulceață de gutui (Romanian quince jam) (vegan)


Da yum. Quince jam isn't really that well-known in the Western world, since quinces themselves are sort of an exotic fruit, but both the fruit and the confection couldn't be more at home in the Romanian traditional kitchens :). 
The great thing about the jam is that it's made with regular sugar and not pectin-enhanced sugar, since the fruit is already naturally rich in pectin and the jam jellies up with no artificial help. This is as good and natural as jam gets, people. And it's insanely flavorful. And it's also a key ingredient in some foods, like sauces (the Italian mostarda vicentina) or tarts (the Argentinian pasta frola). So get yourself some quinces and get canning. Enjoy.
Recipe source: here.

Last year: Chicken and pomegranate molasses stew (Middle Eastern-style).
Two years ago:Penne alla vodka (Italian-American).
Three years ago: Baby making and no cooking :).





Ingredients (makes 3 jam jars):
  • 2 large quinces
  • 3 cups of water (750 ml)
  • 1 kg sugar
  • juice from half a lemon

Get the quinces. Look how pretty they are. To test for freshness, rub their skin gently but firmly. They should become instantly fragrant on the area you just rubbed. Sniff and enjoy :).

Wash them gently. Peel off their skin with a sharp knife and discard it. Cut them into 1 cm sized cubes, discarding their cores. 

Mix the water and sugar in medium pot over medium heat. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and simmer for 5-10 minutes until it reduces a bit and becomes syrup-y. Add the cubed quinces.

Let them cook on low-medium heat until they become translucent, and the liquid around them reaches a jelly jam consistency. This will take about 30 to 40 minutes. To test if the jam is made and that consistency is reached, put a little on a cold plate and see is it's jam like or still too runny. 

Remove from the heat and mix in the lemon juice. Transfer to clean and sterilized jars.

Happy canning! :)

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