Quince Paste and Candied Fruits
A firm, glossy, amber and tart quince paste cut into diamonds — the ultimate pantry confectionery, spanning seasons thanks to sugar.
A firm, glossy, amber and tart quince paste cut into diamonds — the ultimate pantry confectionery, spanning seasons thanks to sugar.
Sugar, you see, is more precious than many a jewel, and it is by it that fruits are kept beyond their season. Master Nostradamus himself taught me the art of making preserves and pastes. Take ripe quinces, cook their flesh with an equal weight of sugar, until the paste leaves the pot. Pour it, dry it, cut it — and there you have something to adorn my sideboard all winter long.
- •Ripe quinces — a basket (base fruit)
- •Sugar — as much as pulp (preservation, setting)
- •Rose water — a drizzle (perfume)
Quince Paste and Candied Fruits
A firm, glossy, amber and tart quince paste cut into diamonds — the ultimate pantry confectionery, spanning seasons thanks to sugar.
Why this dish? Catherine consulted Nostradamus, who published in 1555 a Treatise on Preserves; quince pastes and candied fruits filled the credenza of royal tables and kept for months — a luxury of sugar dear to the queen.
Sugar, you see, is more precious than many a jewel, and it is by it that fruits are kept beyond their season. Master Nostradamus himself taught me the art of making preserves and pastes. Take ripe quinces, cook their flesh with an equal weight of sugar, until the paste leaves the pot. Pour it, dry it, cut it — and there you have something to adorn my sideboard all winter long.
Ingredients (period version)
- Ripe quinces — a basket (base fruit)
- Sugar — as much as pulp (preservation, setting)
- Rose water — a drizzle (perfume)
Ingredients
- Quinces — 1 kg (fruit)
- Sugar — 700 g (weight of cooked pulp) (preservation and gelling)
- Lemon juice — 1 tbsp (acidity, helps setting)
- Rose water — 1 tsp (perfume)
Method
- Cook whole quinces in water for 30 minutes until tender, then peel and core.
- Puree the flesh finely and weigh it; add the same weight of sugar (here 700 g).
- Cook over low heat for 30-40 minutes, stirring constantly, until the paste pulls away from the bottom.
- Add lemon juice and rose water at the end of cooking.
- Spread 1.5 cm thick on an oiled tray, let dry 24-48 hours, then cut into diamonds and roll in sugar.
How it was made : Quince paste was a prestige confectionery offered to kings, especially the one of Orleans. Sugar, an imported and costly commodity, served both as preservative and luxury: a richly stocked credenza displayed the power of the house.
The contemporary twist : Serve the diamonds dusted with crystal sugar with an aged cheese — the quince-cheese pairing in the style of contemporary dinners.
Sources : Nostradamus, Traité des fardements et confitures (1555) · Bartolomeo Scappi, Opera dell'arte del cucinare (1570)
Catherine de Medici · Charactorium