Saturday Recipe: Poached Quinces
Amber Sewell-Green teaches you how to perfect your poached quinces for a vitamin C boost.
Now is the time when quinces are in season, and with their perfect blend of sweetness and zest bite, they are the perfect, cheap, and not so naughty treat to have with breakfast or as a dessert. Enjoy them as a sweet addition to natural yogurt, topped with nuts, muesli or grated coconut, or try them with the porridge recipe I posted last week. Quince is high in vitamin C to boost your immune system with late night studying sessions and looming exams. Poaching the peels means this dish remains high in fibre, and this recipe has far less sugar than your typical poached fruit recipe, yet still develops a rich, gooey sauce that will leave you energised and grinning.
Ingredients: serves 4
- 2-3 large quinces, washed, peeled, de-cored and cut into 8 pieces (keep peel)
- ¼ -1/3 cup maple syrup (choose 1/3 of a cup for a more caramelised syrup or ¼ for a lighter, zestier option)
- 4-5 dates*
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 Tbs ground cinnamon or 2 cinnamon quills
- 1 tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground ginger
*Either choose fresh dates or for a cheaper option, choose dried dates and soak them in cold water overnight or in hot water for 1-2 hours.
Method:
- Fill a large saucepan 2/3 full with water. Add the dates and maple syrup and bring to the boil.
- Meanwhile peel, slice and de-seed the quinces (making sure to keep the peel).
- Once the water mixture is boiling, add the quinces, vanilla essence and spices and stir to mix.
- Turn the heat down to low, and simmer with the lid on for approximately 2 hours, or until the quinces are soft and turned a reddish colour.
- Store in the fridge for up to 1 month.
