Quinces in syrup, a sweet made in Cyprus this time of the year, autumn. This fruit can also be prepared as marmalade or baked in the oven, both also delicious. We will preserve them in sugar and in this way the sweet can be kept for a year or longer.
This fruit can only be eaten cooked of baked, then it has an distinctive aroma and taste, when cooked it colors red, actually when you leave it over night in the sugar and the next day bring it again to the boil it becomes even more red, this procedure can be repeated for 2 or even 3 nights.
Ingredients:
4 big quinces
2 kilo sugar
cinnamon sticks
1.4 liter water
a bowl with cold water with lemon juice
Peel the fruit and cut each one in 8 pieces, place them immediately in the bowl with water and lemon juice, otherwise they color brown.
In a large cooking pot pour the water and add the sugar and heat up slowly, once the sugar starts melting add cinnamon pieces and the quinces.
Bring to the boil, once it boils the sugar will foam and it is absolute necessary to scoop the foam from the top of the syrup, if not, the foam will stick to the fruit. use a skimmer (see photo below)
Boil the fruit for about 20 to 30 minutes. It will become red and the syrup becomes thick. Here is some experience needed, there are several ways to check when the syrup is ready, Mrs Amalia took a large wooden spoon, dipped it in the syrup and hold it up high, the syrup ran down, the last drops, as the syrup cools down, fell slow and thick, when it difficult falls off then the syrup is ready. But nothing to worry about, if it is a little thinner of thicker, the fruit will taste great!
Place the ready fruit when still hot in hot sterilized jars, add the syrup until the top, screw the lid tight and turn the jars for 10 minutes up side down. turn them back and as the syrup starts to cool down the jar will be airtight and the lid will pop down.
Serve one or two pieces on a small pretty glass plate and a glass of (ice) cold water, or as I did on the photo below, with vanilla ice cream and drizzle with syrup!
Enjoy!!
Served traditionally with a Cyprus coffee and a glass of cold water!