Quince jelly grandma’s recipe is a very firm jam enjoyed in small pieces. It is a sweet prepared with ripe quinces, a cross between a jam and a jelly, and it gets its name from quinces, the fruit used to make it.
Quinces contain a lot of natural pectin, so it thickens well without needing to add store-bought pectin!
The quince jelly is a typical product of southern regions, particularly Calabria.
Despite its wonderful aroma, quince doesn’t have much taste when raw but is excellent when cooked, hence why they are great for producing quince jelly.
Together with roasted chestnuts, grape must mustard, and “dei morti” cookies, quince jelly is also a traditional sweet to be consumed on the occasion of the commemoration of deceased loved ones.
This is the perfect time to prepare it as quinces are only available in the fall.
I remember that when I was a child, my grandmother always prepared it. We used the quinces picked from the tree and made this delight, which we enjoyed both for breakfast and as a snack, very sweet and energetic.
We also prepared jam in softer and spreadable jars, while this harder version was shaped into a block and then sliced, sometimes rolled in granulated sugar.
Today, I wanted to try making it myself, cut into small cubes to enjoy immediately and also in jars for long-term storage to enjoy firmer.
Now let’s see how to make it!
For all other jams and jellies click here!
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Economical
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: 3 jars
- Cooking methods: Stovetop, Boiling
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Fall
Ingredients for quince jelly grandma’s recipe
- 4.4 lbs quinces (3.5 lbs cleaned)
- 2.2 lbs sugar
- 1 lemon
- 3 tablespoons water
Tools
- 1 Pot
- 1 Stovetop
- 3 Jars
Steps for quince jelly grandma’s recipe
Clean, wash, and peel the quinces, cut them into small pieces, and place them in a pot.
You can choose whether to boil them with the skin on after cleaning; I preferred to remove it.
Add the juice of one lemon, the sugar, and the water, turn on the stovetop, and bring to a boil.
Stir well at first until the sugar dissolves, then occasionally, and cook over moderate heat until they become nicely mashed and soft.
After about 50 minutes, sometimes longer, the quince puree will have taken on a nice brown color, and the quince jelly will be perfectly cooked.
It’s ready when lifting the spoon, the mixture does not slide back into the pot but stays attached to the spoon. Having a lot of pectin, quinces thicken well.
If you like chunky, just mash lightly with a fork; for a finer result, you can blend them with an immersion blender or sieve them if you used the skin.
Once the puree is thick, pour it still hot into molds, containers, or jars and let it cool.
Once cooled, you can slice and cut the quince jelly into small pieces, sprinkle with granulated sugar, and serve.
Storage, Tips, and Variations
Quince jelly keeps in the fridge for about 1 week.
For excellent quince jelly, it’s important that the quinces are ripe and healthy.
You can replace white sugar with brown sugar for a more rustic and slightly less sweet taste.
If you don’t have molds or jars available, you can pour the quince puree onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and cut it into cubes once cooled.
To flavor the quince jelly, you can also add cinnamon or vanilla if you prefer.
For a softer and spreadable jam, just remove it from the heat earlier; see the procedure here.
