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Quinces are a unique and fragrant fruit, but only recently have I seen non-specialty grocery stores start carrying them. Shaped somewhat like a deformed apple, quinces are native to Asia and have been consumed for thousands of years by the Greeks and Romans. When ripe, quinces have a strong aroma reminiscent of apples, pears, and tropical fruit like guava. Quinces start turning up in the tropical/weird fruit aisles of grocery stores in mid-Fall when the leaves start to turn. Typically astringent and sour when consumed raw, quinces lose this character when cooked and become sweet and fragrant- often finding their way into jams, preserves, and jellies due to their high pectin content. Thankfully, you can also get all of these unique quince characteristics by infusing them in alcohol and turning them into a fragrant and mellow amber liqueur. Quinces make for a unique and delicious liqueur that I've yet to see on any store shelves, and make for a truly great gift or a way to weather the holidays.
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Signing UpStep 1What You'll Need
- 2-3 large quinces (or more, depending on container size)
- Quantity of decent vodka, or other suitable hard liquor (enough to fill container)
- Quart sized mason jar (or other airtight container)
- Knife and cutting board
- Time (4+ weeks)
- A cool, dry place
- Coffee filters
- Funnel
- 2 or more cups sugar
- Decorative bottle of choice (for finished liqueur)
Time is the most important ingredient here. Select quinces that have a fragrant smell, and aren't too bruised or blemished- since quinces are relegated to the section of the grocery store where weird things go to die, you might have some trouble finding perfect quinces.
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I followed my limoncello recipe (3x 10-9-8 recipe, which is three lemons, 10 oz of 190 proof, and then later 9oz of sugar and 8 oz of filtered water), using the quinces and cutting away the bad spots.
Two runs through a coffee filter, yet I still had a haze. I let the stuff "settle" (float to the top) inside a "gravy separator" and poured off the bottom. Much clearer now.
It ended up pretty good tasting, but the flavors were a bit weak.
I sliced the fruit after I cut away the bad spots.
If I can ever find quality fruit I'll try this again.
I usually do this with 190 proof grain and then dilute down to 80 proof with the sugar syrup, but I like your idea too.
I looked up some of the chemistry behind quince aroma and flavor out of curiosity because of this initially- A large percentage of the volatile compounds that account for quince flavor and smell are alcohols and esters, which dissolve very well in alcohol and water.
As far as I can tell, the tannins that make quinces bitter aren't released in the infusion process. Which is a good thing, otherwise quince liqueur would be quite unpleasant.
Maybe try this with Virginia persimmons too? They're chock full of tannins until softened, at which time you really need to race the raccoons to pick them first.
Try cooking it first and then infusing is my suggestion! I've never tried getting that pink color, but any infused fruit tends to go bitter and nasty the longer it loses its flavors to the alcohol.
right on...