Quince Jam

Grate the cored and seeded quince, skin included, on the large holes of a box grater. Put the grated quince in a bowl of cold water as you work because quince will darken if it’s not in water, similar to apples.

Prepare the jam jars for canning. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat and plunge the jars and lids into the boiling water to sanitize them. Boil the jars and lids for 5 minutes, then carefully remove them and set them on a clean, dry kitchen towel. Let the jars air-dry.

Drain the water from the soaking quince and place the quince in a medium saucepan. Cover the quince with ¾ cups of fresh water. Bring the mixture to a boil and cook the quince fruit at a boil until the quince is soft, about 20 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove the pot from the heat, and let the quince fruit steep for another 20 minutes.

Drain away the water from the quince. In a food processor, pulse the cooked quince until it’s the consistency of chunky applesauce.

Place the processed quince into a large saucepan and add the sugar and 1 cup of water. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring regularly with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and simmer the jam for about 30 minutes.

The jam is done when it is thick, the excess water has cooked off, and it drops off of a spoon in thick chunks. Turn off the heat and stir in the lemon juice.

Carefully ladle the jam into the jamming jars, leaving about an inch of headspace from the rims of the jars. Firmly tighten the lids on the jars with your fingers.

Bring the large pot of water back to a boil and carefully submerge the jam jars in the boiling water bath. Process in the boiling water for 10 minutes.

Lift the jars out of the water bath using a heat-proof method and store them in a cool, dark place for a couple of months and up to a couple of years.