Recently my friend gave me an Iranian cookery book as I am fond of trying new recipes.
My eyes settled on different interesting recipes in that book, most of them called for quince paste.
I was looking for quince paste at cheese shops nearby. But no luck!
So, I was looking for quince paste substitute if any. At the same time, I didn’t want to lose the exact taste and flavor of my dish.
After researching, I got to know that there are some substitutes such as fig jam, guava paste, Marmalade, quince jam, and black cherry preserves .
As the taste of quince fruit is much like mix of apple and pear, So you can use apple sauce or apple- pear paste instead of quince paste.
The above substitutes are much close to the taste and flavor of Quince paste. So, you can use them as an alternative to quince paste.
Read further to know more about quince paste and its best substitutes.
What is Quince Paste?
A fruit-based confectionery which is made from quince fruit. The Quince fruit has very high in natural pectin, so the paste easily forms a jelly texture.
The quince paste is usually known as “Membrillo” in Spain.
This delicious confectionery is well-known in Spain and Mexico and other Latin countries.
Quince paste is also known as quince cheese, candy, or cream. It comes in a sweet and delicate floral taste.
This is one of the most delicious confections I’ve ever tasted!
For making delicious quince paste the quince fruit, sugar and water are cooked together and make a thick sauce.
If you want to buy a quince paste, you can find it, usually sold in squares.
Uses for Quince Paste
As quince paste is versatile, you can use it for many different recipes.
The quince paste is often served with cheese. It is a seamless compliment to a pungent cheese.
This amazingly versatile confectionery is served by cutting into thin slices.
It is placed on top of the cheese or between slices of cheese. The quince paste goes well with Manchego cheese.
It is also served with crackers, sandwiches, toast, meat, or can be eaten its own as a sweet confection.
The quince paste can also used for pastry stuffing and spread in cakes or served with breakfasts in place of jam.
The quince paste served as a snack or dessert too.
Where to Buy Quince Paste?
You can find the quince paste at your nearest cheese ships.
The quince paste is also available in Mexican and Spanish specialty shops.
You can get even in Whole Food Markets.
If it is not available in your local area, you can get it online avenues like Amazon.
There is a wide variety of quince paste available to choose from.
You can compare different quince paste brands and their prices and can choose the best one for your recipe.
Bonus Recipe: Quince Paste
Ingredients:
12 pineapple quinces washed, peeled, cored.
2 lemons, cut into halves
4.5 pounds of sugar
Procedure:
1.Chop the quinces in large approximately 2-inch chunks.
2.Place the quince chunks in a large pot. Add sugar and mix them up. Keep the pot on medium-high heat and stir the mixture occasionally. Cook it for 2.5 hours.
3.Stir the mixture and add the 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Cook for 10 more minutes.
4..Grease the 9-inch baking dish. Spread the quince paste in the baking dish and smoothen it with the back of the spoon.
Let the paste cool in the baking dish.
5.You can store quince paste in plastic wrap and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Quince Paste Substitute
Fig jam
Fig jam is made with figs which have a unique taste. Those who don’t like raw figs can love the fig jam delight.
The fig jam comes in a smooth consistency. The fig seeds are not much apparent in fig jam
If the fig jam is made with their skin, the consistency of the jam becomes coarser.
But this coarser jam can be preserved longer.
It can be used as a spread or added to the desserts.
You can use it as sauce and glaze. It goes well with cheese and charcuterie platters. You can also use it in sandwiches, flatbread, pizza, etc.
If you are looking for quince paste substitute paring with cheese, this fig jam is the best bet.
Guava paste
If you want to give a tropical touch to your dish, guava paste is the best ingredient to use.
It is also known as ‘pasta de guayaba’ and ‘goiabada’.
The guava paste is made by the base ingredient guava and sugar.
The sugar and guava fruit cooked together till it becomes a very thick consistency. Then the mixture is left to dry to get rid of excess moisture content.
In this way, very flavourful guava paste is made. The consistency of guava paste may differ from brand to brand.
You can find some guava paste very dry whereas other brands produced it very moist consistency.
Guava paste comes in a sweet floral taste. It can be used in desserts and savory dishes to enhance the flavor.
The guava paste goes well with cheese, cookies, tarts also. It also can serve as an appetizer.
Once the bottle of guava paste is opened, it should be stored at room temperature. You should wrap it in plastic or store in an airtight container.
Marmalade
Marmalade is a fruit preserve that is made from the peel and juice of citrus fruits. For making marmalade citrus fruits, sugar and water are boiled together.
It can be made from different citrus fruits. But the popular version of marmalade is made from bitter orange.
There are also other versions made from lemons, grapefruit, sweet oranges, bergamots, etc.
For making marmalade, a large quantity of water is added to the fruit. The additional liquid is set with high pectin content in the fruit itself.
The addition of fruit pulp and peel makes marmalade distinct from the jelly and jam making process.
When you cook citrus fruit with sugar it softens the tart acidity and the bitter taste of the peel.
So, there is a good balance of sweet, tart, and bitter taste in the final marmalade.
The flavor of marmalade depends upon the fruit used and ingredient proportion in the marmalade making process.
Some marmalade comes in sweeter whereas some come up with tarter taste. The texture is marmalade is alike jelly.
Quince jam
If you don’t have quince paste, you can use quince jam if available to you.
Quince jam is made up of quince fruit, sugar, and lemon.
For making quince jam, choose the quince with a strong floral aroma and not fully ripe.
Quince jam paired well with marbled cheese like Roquefort. It is paired well with fresh cheese other than matured ones.
The quince jam also goes well with meats like chicken, turkey. It gives a nice sweet touch to your delicious meat dishes.
There are many recipes to make like cakes, biscuits, and tarts with a sweet quince jam filling.
You can store homemade quince jam for up to 12 months in sterilized jars. Once you open the jar, you need to refrigerate it.
Black cherry preserve
The black cherry preserve is made with base ingredient black sweet cherries. The recipe of black cherry preserves includes black cherry, sugar, and lemon juice.
If you have black cherries, you can make it easily at home.
You need to cook cherry and sugar together and allow it to keep in a cool place for 3 hours.
Then you need to add lemon juice and cook it for 1 ½ hour until even consistency. Store it in sterilized glass jars.
You can spread it on toast, sandwich, or can use it in your oatmeal, yogurt, or cookies.
You can use it as a substitute for quince paste in many recipes.
Apple sauce
You can use apple sauce as an alternative to quince paste. The apple sauce should be blended paste. It should not have chunks in it.
You can add a tablespoon of elderflower cordial to sweeten the apple and give the floral notes.
Apple Pear paste
Quince fruit in the raw form tastes a bit like a mix of Apple and Pear with little floral notes like elderflower.
You can’t eat them in raw form. But for substituting quince paste you need to make them in paste form.
Cook the apple and pear together. Add sugar and a dash of lemon juice. Then sieve it and make a paste
Related Articles:
Does Apple Crisp Need to be Refrigerated?
