Sometimes you can find on sale a fruit that looks and smells like quince, plus everything has the same tough consistency. What is it? This is Japanese quince - small fruits that are also edible and healthy. Their taste is almost identical to ordinary quince, and they can be used in the same way.
Many do not know what can be prepared from these aromatic fruits. One of the good options is jam from Japanese quince. How to make it at home?
Remember that Japanese quince, like traditional quince, has an astringent taste and hard flesh, but it has a very pleasant aroma even after heat treatment. Therefore, you can use it for cooking as without additives, or in combination with apples. To make Japanese quince jam more tender, it is best to harvest the fruits after frost.
The secret to delicious treats
In order to get a good result, you need a thickener. Today, in almost all stores you can find pectin for jams and its substitutes. Using a thickener will allow you to make jam with less sugar. If you cannot find it for sale or prefer very sweet desserts, you can only cook a treat with sugar, but its amount will be much larger.
So, Japanese quince jam - the recipe for cooking:
Ingredients:
- 2 kg of Japanese quince (alone or mixed with apples);
- 3 pcs. star anise;
- about 2 liters of water;
- 2 bags (50 g) of pectin powder (or any other thickener for jams) mixed with 600 g of sugar (or 450 grams of sugar for every 600 ml of liquid).
Cooking
You have to chop the fruit coarsely . In this case, be careful, because the quince flesh is very hard. Fold the sliced pieces into a large pot with anise and fill with water - it is recommended to use 2 liters. Cook until the quince pieces begin to fall apart. This usually takes about an hour and a half. Then mash the fruits with a potato press and pour into a colander with gauze lined on the bottom. Tie the cheesecloth into a knot and place it in a large pan. Let Japanese quince jam drain overnight.
Resist the temptation to squeeze out the contents of the nodule, about 1.5 liters of fluid should leak out on its own. Bring the liquid to a boil and add the pectin mixed with sugar. Boil for 1 minute and pour into sterilized jars. Hold the containers upside down for ten minutes. Such quince jam will be stored for about a year. After opening, keep the jars in the refrigerator and use for a week.
Another option
In addition, if you want to make jam with pieces of fruit, and not like jelly, you can use another method. It is also quite simple! When you add quince to the water, immediately add sugar and a thickener. Continue to cook the mixture until the flesh is clear and the syrup reaches a gel-like consistency. At this stage, we can say that Japanese quince jam is completely ready for use. Remember that as the syrup thickens, mix it as thoroughly as possible to avoid sticking to the walls of the pan and burning.