Quince
Resembling a sizable pear, but with yellow, bumpy skin, quince can be seriously sour when eaten raw. After cooking, the flesh sweetens up a treat and also gets tinged an attractive pink colour.
In the kitchen
Before cooking, treat quince in much the same way as you would apples and pears - remove the peel and get rid of any seeds.
They make a flavoursome addition to desserts which use apples and pears, and are especially good in pies. Quince sauce is a classic accompaniment to roast game - its tart, fruity flavour cutting through the richness of meat.
Sweetened slabs of quince jelly or paste are often served with cheese. It's a popular combo in Spain.
Middle Eastern dishes, such as Moroccan tagines and rich, slow-cooked meaty casseroles are often contrasted with the fruity flavour of softened and sweetened quince.
