Quince fruit spread

Quince Fruit Spread. Quince from the company's own orchards, gently cooked down and floral in aroma.

Quince Fruit Spread by FrüchteMeer is a smooth spread made from quince from the company's own orchards, cooked down without added gelling agent. No clear jelly, no firm quince bread, no mixture with apple.

Quince Fruit Spread is a fruit spread from the FrüchteMeer preserves manufactory in Wankendorf, for which the Thiesen family processes quince from their own orchards. The ingredients list contains only three components: quince, sugar, and citric acid. More than half the jar is fruit. This puts the spread exactly between two familiar forms of quince. It is spreadable like a preserve and aromatic like a piece of Spanish membrillo, only without the need for a knife.

Apple, pear, and a hint of rose blossom

The quince fruit spread tastes of cooked apple and ripe pear, underpinned by a floral, lightly perfumed aroma. This aroma only develops through heat. Raw, quince is hard, rich in tannins, and barely edible; in the pot, it reveals its bouquet.

The consistency is smooth and free of chunks, ideal for spreading thinly. A fine acidity balances the sweetness, leaving a slightly bitter aftertaste. For people looking for a zesty, acid-forward spread, quince may be less suitable: it is more mellow and fragrant than fresh. It is also not intended as a sweet everyday spread for children; the perfumed tone may initially seem unusual to many.

Compared with the familiar quince jelly, the spread tastes fruitier and fuller-bodied. A jelly is made only from juice, whereas here the entire fruit pulp is in the jar. This also brings out the apple-like, slightly bitter notes of the pulp, which are usually missing from a jelly.

With sheep's cheese, lamb, and ricotta toast

Quince shines brightest when paired with something salty or creamy. In Spain, quince paste is traditionally served with aged sheep's cheese, and this spread follows the same logic. Four suggestions:

• Place a teaspoon next to Pecorino, Comté, or an aged Gouda on the cheese board.
• For breakfast, spread ricotta on toasted sourdough bread, top with a spoonful of quince and chopped walnuts.
• Stir a tablespoon into the braising liquid for lamb shoulder, an idea from Moroccan cuisine, where lamb is often braised with quince.
• Mix two tablespoons into the filling of an apple strudel; this gives the filling aroma and helps it set.

Those who prefer a milder quince will reach for the pear and quince spread. A more bitter, equally smooth alternative is the rosehip spread from the same manufactory.

From experience: The spread works best with cheese at room temperature. Take the jar out of the refrigerator half an hour before serving, and the aroma will develop much more fully.

An ancient cultivated fruit, cooked down in Wankendorf

Quince, botanically Cydonia oblonga, is a member of the rose family and is closely related to apple and pear. Gardeners distinguish two fruit forms: the round apple quince with firm, highly aromatic flesh and the elongated pear quince, which is softer and milder. Quince is among the fruit with the highest pectin content. This is why the spread requires no added gelling agent; the fruit sets itself as it cooks.

Good to know: when cooked for a long time, quince flesh changes from pale yellow to amber or even pink. This is caused by colorless tannins, which are converted into reddish pigments under heat.

FrüchteMeer was founded in 1996 in Wankendorf in the Holsteinische Schweiz and continues to be run as a family business by Karsten Thiesen and Susanne Lucht-Thiesen. The couple combines traditional recipes with new combinations and pays close attention to how raw materials are grown, transported, and processed. For this variety, the journey is conceivably very short: the label states that the fruit comes from the company's own orchards.

The ingredients list is worth a look. Next to the fruit, there is only sugar and citric acid—no pectin, no flavoring, no water. Especially with quince, this brevity is a good sign, because the fruit provides its own aroma and setting properties. A quince spread needs nothing more to taste like quince.

For cheese boards, brunch, and gifts

What makes this spread special is its versatility between sweet and savory. In the morning, it accompanies buttered bread and rolls; in the evening, it sits alongside cheese and wine. This makes it one of the few jars that belongs both on the breakfast table and on the cheese board.

As a gift, the 210-g jar pairs well with a bottle of white wine or a piece of aged cheese. For people who know quince from the garden and dread the tedious peeling and coring, it is a welcome shortcut.

A jar of quince from FrüchteMeer brings aroma to your breakfast bread and depth to your cheese board, without the need for a preserving pan in your kitchen.