Membrillo is a Spanish quince paste. My version is made with crabapples, but uses the same basic method. Start by making crabapple jelly, then use the pulp from the jelly (the part you’d normally throw out) along with a bit of the juice to make this membrillo. It’s great served with cheese or spread on toast.
link to crabapple jelly post
Heavily adapted from Simply Recipes
about 4 cups crabapple pulp, pressed through sieve (plus some juice)
about 4 cups sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Start with the pulp (the waste) from making crabapple jelly. Press the pulp through a mesh sieve until you’ve got about all that will go through and you’re left with just skins and seeds in the sieve. Discard the skins and seeds and keep the puree. Add a bit of the juice from the crabapple jelly – the strained juice before the sugar is added.
Measure the puree and juice. Put the puree, an equal amount of sugar and a bit of lemon juice (about 1 Tbsp per 2 cups puree) in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer and cook, covered about 1 to 1 1/2 hours, until it’s really thick and has darkened a bit.
Line a small square or rectangle dish with parchment or wax paper. Pour the paste into the dish. Cover loosely with a tea towel and put in the fridge for 2-3 days, until the paste has dried and firmed up. You should be able to lift the block of paste out of the dish using the parchment paper and have it keep its shape.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and store in the fridge. Should keep at least a month in the fridge Serve with cheese.
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I’ve just thought of making this – and looked at the same recipe from simply recipes for a basic recipe to follow. Looking forward to the crab apples being ready to give it a try.
Comment by Alison Dyke September 14, 2012 @ 10:38 am