Last year I visited the island of ‘Gotland’ off the coast of Sweden. This historic Swedish island was once one of the strongest and wealthiest Viking bastions in Scandinavia and was known for its ease of fruit production. Being entirely surrounded by water, the island benefits from longer, more stable growing seasons thanks to the heat retention effect of the encircling seas. This provides an excellent soil for fruit trees, particularly pears and quinces, which are a lot more challenging to grow on the Swedish mainland. I was amazed to see many residential houses in Gotland grew these fruit trees in their gardens, and pears and quinces find their way into many seasonal products on the island. This is one that I fell in love with. A pear and quince sauce - much like an applesauce - which is cooked down to a sweet, tangy paste. It’s spectacular served with creamy cheeses, sausages, boiled ham or roast pork. You’ll find fresh quinces at larger markets right now, especially Turkish or Middle-Eastern shops. If you oven-process the sauce after jarring, you can keep it for up to a year on the shelf, but I recommend keeping it in the fridge and using it within the month for all of autumn’s tempting treats. Let’s go!
INGREDIENTS (makes 1x 300g jar)
250g quince, peeled and diced (from 1x quince)
200g ripe Conference pears, peeled, cored and diced (approx. 2x pears)
100g caster sugar
50ml water
1/2 tsp salt
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar or bottled lemon juice
WALKTHROUGH
First, let’s cook the quince. Add the 250g diced quince and 200g diced pears into a pot with the 100g caster sugar, 50ml water, 1/2 tsp fine salt and 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar/bottled lemon juice.
Place the pot onto a medium-high heat and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the temperature to medium-low and continue simmering the mixture until it softens considerably, about 10-15 minutes.
Once softened, use a potato masher to mash the fruit to a puree. You can make it as smooth or as coarse as you prefer. Continue simmering the mixture for a further 5 minutes, stirring often.
Transfer the fruit mixture to a clean, warmed jar. Fill the jar leaving an approximately 1/2 inch-size gap at the rim. Add a clean lid and close the jar until finger-tight.
Place the jar into a 120C/250F oven or air fryer and cook for 20 minutes to process it. This will help it form a long-lasting seal and can be stored for up to a year afterwards.
Allow the jar to cool at room temperature until completely cool. You may hear the jar pop as it forms a natural seal. The processed sauce can be stored in a dark, cool cupboard for up to 1 year. Once opened, store it in the fridge and use within 1 month. Enjoy it on cheeseboards, with roast ham or in cheeses.
