Homemade Quince Membrillo

Firstly, clean and prepare quinces by removing their outer layers, then set the skin and core aside. Next, chop the flesh of the quinces into coarse pieces and place them in a large cooking vessel. Wrap the skin and core of the quinces in cheesecloth, tie it with kitchen twine, and add it to the cooking vessel.

Subsequently, pour in sufficient water to cover the quinces and bring them to a boil, with the vessel partially covered. Continue boiling until the fruit is tender, taking approximately 30 to 40 minutes. Remove the cheesecloth bag of peels and pass the quince flesh through a fine-mesh sieve or food mill.

You should now have around 2 ½ pounds of quince pulp. Transfer this pulp to a saucepan and add sugar in the same proportion as the weight of the fruit pulp.

Now, cook the mixture over low heat and stir it constantly with a wooden spoon until the sugar has dissolved. Continue cooking, stirring frequently, until the paste becomes very thick and develops a deep orange color, taking around 1 ½ hours.

To prevent the paste from sticking to the saucepan, draw a wooden spoon along its bottom: if it leaves a trail, the paste will adhere to the spoon.

Next, lightly grease a 9x13-inch baking dish or line it with greased parchment paper. Transfer the quince paste to the prepared baking dish, spreading it about 1 ½ inches thick. Smooth the top of the paste and allow it to cool completely.

Subsequently, dry the quince paste in a low-temperature oven for about 1 ½ hours, with the temperature not exceeding 125 degrees F (52 degrees C).

Finally, allow the quince paste to cool completely before slicing it. In Europe, a traditional method of drying quince paste is to store it in a cupboard for about 7 days, allowing the remaining juices to evaporate and resulting in a drier paste.