Besides the rarity, quince have a good backstory. The Romans would stuff them into jars and pour over honey, where their tannic, acrid fruit would soften over time, producing both a candied fruit and a fragrant syrup. I’ve even read that they may have been the fruit that got Adam and Eve cast out of the garden of Eden (though since you can’t eat quince raw, that story may be, perhaps, apocryphal. Straight off the tree, in fact, I doubt it would have been all that tempting). Quince are also, surprisingly, the fruit that originated the marmalade (the Portuguese name for the fruit is marmelo) and you may have seen it at the cheese counter in the form of membrillo, which pairs perfectly with manchego.
So yes, you’ll often find that you need to poach quince before using it. While this is a dreaded extra step, it’s quite easy: just put in the oven for a few hours and relax while your home fills with a warm perfume. The poached slices keep in their fragrant syrup for around two weeks in the fridge, so you can really space things out. Prepping the quince is a bit tricky–while much like slicing apples, the seeded core of the quince is hard and must be cut out. This, along with the slicing, must be done gently–not surgery here, but not as quick as slicing apples for pie. The flesh is slightly grainy (only when raw) and the slices otherwise have a tendency to break on you. Imagine a very dry apple. Nonetheless, this is mainly an aesthetic consideration, and isn’t meant to scare you off! It’s going to look pretty, and taste great, no matter what.
Extra poached quince could be spooned over oatmeal, eaten straight, or used in other recipes.
Poached Quince Galette
- Total Time: 2 hours 30 minutes
- Yield: 1 galette 1x
Description
This Poached Quince Galette features tender, aromatic quince slices nestled in a rustic pie crust, offering a sweet and fragrant conclusion to any meal.
Ingredients
Poached Quince
- 3/4c (180 ml) sugar
- 3c (720 ml) water
- juice of one lemon
- 1/2 vanilla bean or 1t vanilla extract
- 4 medium quinces (1 1/2 lb / 680 g), peeled, cored, and sliced.
Galette
- 1 disc of pie dough-use your favorite. (I used spelt flour mixed with all-purpose here).
- Poached quince (from above)
- 2T (30 ml) sugar
- melted butter or half-and-half
- 1 1/2 tbsp (22 ml) sugar (preferably sanding or turbinado sugar)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 300°F (150°C).
- In a baking dish, combine sugar, water, lemon juice, and vanilla bean or extract.
- Add the peeled, cored, and sliced quinces to the dish.
- Cover the dish with foil or a lid and bake for 1 1/2 hours, or until the quinces are rosy and tender. Your kitchen will be filled with a warm, fragrant aroma.
- Once poached, let the quinces cool in their syrup. They can be stored in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Roll out the pie dough on a floured surface to about 12 inches in diameter.
- Arrange the poached quince slices in the center of the dough, leaving a 2-inch border.
- Fold the edges of the dough over the quinces, pleating as necessary to create a rustic edge.
- Bake the galette in a preheated oven at 375°F (190°C) for 35-40 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown.
- Let the galette cool slightly before serving.
Notes
- Poached quince can be stored in their syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks.
- Extra poached quince can be used as a topping for oatmeal or enjoyed on its own.
- When preparing quince, be careful as the core is hard and the flesh can break easily.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 2 hours
- Category: Dessert
- Cuisine: French
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 25
- Sodium: 150
- Fat: 10
- Carbohydrates: 40
- Fiber: 3
- Protein: 2
- Cholesterol: 0
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Frequently Asked Questions
Why do quinces have to be poached before using them in the galette?
Quince cannot be eaten raw — it is tannic and acrid straight off the tree. The article explains that poaching in a sugar-water-lemon-vanilla syrup at 300°F for about 1.5 hours transforms the fruit: it becomes rosy, tender, and fills the kitchen with a warm, fragrant aroma.
How long can I store the poached quince, and can I make it ahead?
Yes — the notes say poached quince can be stored in their syrup in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. This makes it easy to prepare the quince days in advance and assemble the galette later.
How do I peel and slice quince without the pieces breaking?
The article warns the flesh is slightly grainy when raw and the slices tend to break — like a very dry apple. Work gently and cut out the hard seeded core carefully. The fragility is mainly aesthetic: the galette will still taste great even with imperfect slices.
What else can I do with leftover poached quince?
The notes suggest spooning extra poached quince over oatmeal or eating it straight. The article also notes that quince is the fruit behind the word “marmalade” (from the Portuguese marmelo) and the cheese-counter staple membrillo.
