What does quince taste like ?

[Gilli]

Having spent all afternoon clearing another corner of my jungle like garden, I found I've inherited a flowering quince bush.

My question is, what does quince taste like ? .... I know you can make jellies and jams from them, but is it worth the effort ?

[Artful]

Quince jam or jelly is lovely especially on hot buttered toast.

[mystress]

The only problem is,you have to make it from Quince TREES,you can't make it from Flowering Quince Bushes,(although they flower/fruit,they are strictly ornamental) believe me I tried it! LOL

However,as Artful says the REAL thing is quite delicious (I once got a pot at a W.I Fair)

[acw]

Quince jelly is surprisingly nice with cheddar cheese.  Although it looks like you'll have to be buying it from the WI like the rest of us!  Glad mystress pointed that out.  Not that I'd personally ever be as enthusiastic as you Gilli when it comes to making food!

[Artful]

Thanx for the correction, mystress I didn't know there were bushes so I automatically thought Gilli meant trees.

[flaming]

Can anyone describe the taste, please, by comparing it to something?  I imagined it was a sort of apple-y thing.  I have never had any and the dictionary is not beside me.  I must try.

[normyc]

The taste is like a cross between an apple and a pear.

Quince jelly  tastes fantastic with goats cheese

[mrs.pudding]

and the jelly is really easy to make!  Much simpler than jam!

[mystress]

Artful,

Thats OK. I don't think the Quince Trees (up to 30feet tall) & the Ornamental Quince bushes (up to 10 feet tall) are very closely related? Somewhat like the "real"Geraniums,and the (wrongly called Geraniums)Pelargoniums.

I am still looking for some more Quince Jelly though !? LOL

[Gilli]

Thanks for all the responses.

And thankyou for pointing out that what I have is probably not suitable for eating either ! I'm assuming it is a bush rather than a tree as it's about 6-7 ft tall and equally wide (well, it was till I pruned it !).

Shame, because the real thing sounds as if it's worth trying ..... the (rotten old) fruits I found festering under all the undergrowth looked like little knobbly yellow pears.

[Artful]

But quince fruit does and yellow but if it"s a bush like mystress says, well just put it on the compost, Gilli! Good job mystress was around as I said earlier!

[Artful]

Forgetting - where to get some quince jelly, mystress - I suppose you will need to find an upgrade grocery shop (there must be some other than Fortnum and Mason or the food floor in Harrod's, even chains, in GB outside of London). In France such shops are called '�picerie fine' - stuff costs a fortune but you pay as it is so hard to find anywhere else, for example (reliable, good brand) creamed horseradish sauce!