Produce OASIS Tip of the Day

December 11 - Quince Tips:

Also called golden apple, quince is used in jams, jellies, marmalades and syrups. There are two varieties; Perfumed and pineapple quince. The perfumed quince is shaped like a mini football and the pineapple quince is more round or pear-shaped. Both will turn from green to yellow when ripe.

Avoid product that is too soft or has spots of mold. Bruised product will have blotchy areas on the skin. Since quince is cooked and used in jams, slight bruises will not negatively affect the quality. Available August through February.

The quince has been cultivated for over four thousand years. The sweeter varieties have been eaten raw from the middle ages through the 17th Century. They have since been used almost exclusively as a preserving fruit, eaten only in cooked forms. Most of the early marmalade recipes, in England and elsewhere were based on quince. In fact, its Portugese name, "marmelo" is the origin of the word marmalade. The quince name itself comes from the French, where it is known as "coing," adapted to "quince" by the British.

OASIS has much more information on specialty fruits.

Tip/Trivia of the Day Archive.