Ingredients
- 2 pounds quinces
- ½ lemon
- 3 cups water, plus more for soaking
- ½ cinnamon stick
- 1 pod black cardamom (Optional)
Why You'll Love Making This
Tips From The Kitchen
- Add a splash of lemon juice to enhance the fruit’s natural tartness and balance the sweetness.
- Cook slowly on low heat to allow the flavors to deepen and the quince to soften evenly.
Step 1
First, give the quinces a good rinse under running water to get rid of their fuzzy coating. Fill a large bowl halfway with water and squeeze in the lemon juice—this will help keep the fruit from browning. Cut the quinces into quarters, then peel, core, and dice them one piece at a time, dropping each batch into the lemon water as you go.
Step 2
Pour 3 cups of fresh water into a saucepan along with the cane sugar, agave syrup, cinnamon stick, and cardamom pod. Bring everything to a boil, then add the drained quince pieces. Turn the heat down to medium-high and let it simmer gently for about 20 minutes.
Step 3
After that, lower the heat to medium-low and cover the pot with a lid, but wedge a wooden spoon between the lid and the pot so it’s slightly open. This lets some steam escape without drying the stew out. Let it cook like this for another 25 minutes or so, until the fruit has softened and taken on a lovely reddish tint. The syrup should thicken and reduce by about three-quarters—don’t worry if it’s not super thick yet, it will set more as it cools. When everything is tender and syrupy, it’s ready to enjoy!
