OFF THE SHELF
'Golden apple' of Eden can be luscious once cooked

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

The sour taste of quince becomes a rich, savory flavor when cooked with sugar. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Quince is used in pies, preserves, jellies and many ethnic cuisines. Quince paste — so firmly jelled you can cut it like cheese — traditionally accompanies a cheese course in Spain. Colonial cooks kept a quince tree or two because the high pectin content made the fruit useful in jelly-making; it resembles guava in this regard and actually has a taste similar to green guava.

The quince I bought in my local Safeway last week came from California, where the Pineapple variety is grown in the San Joaquin Valley. The season is from August to January or February, peaking now. Late-season quince come from South America.

Quince is a very old fruit from the Caucasus region, subject of many romantic stories. It's said to invite love and fertility. It is the "golden apple" of mythology; the apple of the biblical Garden of Eden.

Here's a simple quince recipe: Cut the fruit in half, remove seeds and carve out a little hollow in the center. Place quince on a square of foil. Place a pat of butter (2 teaspoons or so) in the hollow and fill with sugar. Pull up the corners of the foil, and fold or twist over to make a pouch. Place the pouch on a baking sheet, being sure to keep the fruit cut side up. Bake at 400 degrees for an hour, or until very tender. Serve with ice cream or slice and present alongside roasted meats.