I know I already have a long thread going but I wanted to ask specifically about using quince in cider making.
I am fortunate enough to have several pounds of quince. So far I have been freezing it in slices and puree form for later use in things like jams, sauces, etc.
But I was thinking of adding it to apple juice for fermentation. Or, possibly, trying to ferment the quince by itself.
I ran some quince through my juicer the other day. The resulting juice was incredibly tannic. Like having someone coat your mouth with cotton balls. And the yield was poor. But even so, I am curious to try it. As a small component of apple juice I thought it might be useful. I have read that tannins (up to a point) are desirable in cider. And the apple juice that I am going to have access to (store bought) isn't very tannic. Perhaps I could use the quince to add tannins and other flavors in?
I was thinking I could run the quince through the juicer and get some juice. Then I could take the pulp and put in pectinase and let it sit for a while and see if I can extract more juice. I imagine that the yield, no matter what I do, will be low. But I wouldn't think I would need more than a quart or two of the stuff.
The idea intrigues me but it might also be incredibly stupid. Quince taste pretty awful raw. But when you boil them they lose those tannins. That's more of a feature than a bug when using them in cooking.
What has been your experience with quince?
I know that quince are fairly rare. Less than 200 acres are planted commercially in the United States. And quince is 84% water so there must be a way to get the juice out. And, lastly, I do need to use these things up before they rot.
And if I juiced the quince should I peel them first? I have always taken off the peels but perhaps that was unwise. I will rub off the brown fuzz on the skins first.
Thanks in advance.
I am fortunate enough to have several pounds of quince. So far I have been freezing it in slices and puree form for later use in things like jams, sauces, etc.
But I was thinking of adding it to apple juice for fermentation. Or, possibly, trying to ferment the quince by itself.
I ran some quince through my juicer the other day. The resulting juice was incredibly tannic. Like having someone coat your mouth with cotton balls. And the yield was poor. But even so, I am curious to try it. As a small component of apple juice I thought it might be useful. I have read that tannins (up to a point) are desirable in cider. And the apple juice that I am going to have access to (store bought) isn't very tannic. Perhaps I could use the quince to add tannins and other flavors in?
I was thinking I could run the quince through the juicer and get some juice. Then I could take the pulp and put in pectinase and let it sit for a while and see if I can extract more juice. I imagine that the yield, no matter what I do, will be low. But I wouldn't think I would need more than a quart or two of the stuff.
The idea intrigues me but it might also be incredibly stupid. Quince taste pretty awful raw. But when you boil them they lose those tannins. That's more of a feature than a bug when using them in cooking.
What has been your experience with quince?
I know that quince are fairly rare. Less than 200 acres are planted commercially in the United States. And quince is 84% water so there must be a way to get the juice out. And, lastly, I do need to use these things up before they rot.
And if I juiced the quince should I peel them first? I have always taken off the peels but perhaps that was unwise. I will rub off the brown fuzz on the skins first.
Thanks in advance.