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As a young housewife on a dairy farm in Northern New York I often heard of people making quince jelly in the fall. I never did as I never saw a quince or even the flowering quince way back in those days.
Now I have one, or at least I hope I have one after being hit with those 5 nights of freezing weather in the April of 2007 which wiped out just about every thing we had here followed by the worst drought I can remember in Kentucky.
I finally bought a white flowering quince and put it in a very large container in spring of 2006. The picture on the label looked great with showy white flowers that did bloom from early to mid-spring that year and the foliage were red-bronze that turned dark green during the summer. We basically had the flowers die off in the freeze in 2007 so we are patiently waiting to see whether the tree needs to be replaced in 2008.
Flowering Quince offers flowers in red, pink or white. You can plant your Flowering Quince in zones 4 to 8 and it will grow to 6 to 10 feet in height at maturity and be 6 to 10 feet in width.
The Quince will do well in full sun to partial shade with slightly acid soil ph. It can tolerate a dry site, but it prefers moist, well-drained soil.
It originally came from China and it is often used as a tree for making bonsai trees in Japan thus early on it was often known as Japonica.
It makes a good statement in the garden and can also be used as a hedge when you plant several of them together making sure you have about a six foot space between each plant at the onset.
It produces a 2 to 2.5 inch edible yellowish apple/pear shaped fruit that can be made into jelly. It really is a fruit related to the apple and the pear and it does not taste good right off the tree and the fruit is hard, but it is loaded with pectin which is a natural jellying agent.
When you want to control it or rejuvenate it you must severely prune after flowering.
Quince Jelly
Ingredients
30 ounces of quinces
8-1/2 cups sugar (3-1/2 pounds)
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juices (The lemon juice is really only necessary if the quince jelly doesn't "take" within the allotted time.)
1. Wash and rub the quinces briskly with a towel to remove any down on the skin, but don't peel them as the skin is important for the jelly.
2. Cut the quinces in half, then using a melon ball maker, remove the white core and the seeds, and reserve them.
3. Tie the seeds and the cores together in a piece of cheesecloth.
4. Place the fruit and the seed bundle in a large heavy stockpot. Add water to cover by about 1 inch so the quinces are floating slightly but not wallowing.
5. Cover, bring to a boil over medium-high heat, and then reduce the heat so the liquid is simmering gently.
6. Cook, partially covered so very little liquid evaporates, until the quinces can be pierced easily with a metal skewer or a fork, 25 to 40 minutes depending on the fruit.
7. While the quinces are cooking, press on the seed bundle often to extract the pectin. Drain, reserving the liquid and the seed bundle.
8. Measure out 6-1/4 cups liquid and return it and the seed bundle to the pot. Add the sugar, stir, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
9. Reduce the heat so the liquid is boiling steadily but not wildly, and cook, stirring and pressing on the bag of seeds, until the liquid thickens, anywhere from 10 to 25 minutes. (To test for consistency, drizzle some jelly on a cold plate, place it in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 minutes, and then check to see if it has thickened enough that it won't run all over the plate. If it is still very runny, continue cooking until it thickens to your liking.) If the liquid hasn't jelled within 30 minutes, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons lemon juice and cook until it jells, an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
10. Remove the jelly from the heat and strain it, if necessary, so it is perfectly clear. Ladle the jelly into the sterilized jars and seal according to manufacturer's instructions.
11. This recipe makes about six 8 ounce jars.
12. Store in a cool, dark place and once you open a jar refrigerate.
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Author Bio Box: Arlene Wright Correll
 For more gardening or cooking information click http://www.learn-america.com/
To see Arlene’s Gardens and to read her gardening diaries or click on Arlene’s Books where you can download or buy her gardening & cook books. Arlene says, “All my royalties from the sale of my books go to the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and I thank you for visiting my site.”
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