We've recently had a glut of quinces, and as well as making quince chutney I've been cooking up some membrillo.

Membrillo, or quince cheese, is useful to make in the run up to Christmas as it's a great addition to a cheese board. It's sweetness really complements the strong flavours of a cheese such as mature cheddar.

Quinces have a very unique fragrance, and bowls of them have been scenting our kitchen for weeks.
Soaking the quinces in brandy should capture some of that smell in a drinkable form and enable us to enjoy it all over again in the depths of winter.

This recipe is adapted from one by Nigella Lawson, via the Not Without Salt blog, there are other variations around using spices such as ginger, or adding sugar, or using vodka instead of brandy.

image source wikimedia commons

1. The latin name for quince is Cydonia oblonga.

It looks like our quince tree is going to have bumper crop this year.

In the past we haven't had to cope with more than a handful and have quickly got through them making a few jars of jam, or adding them in a fruity chutney. They don't seem to store very well so I'm thinking I'll have to have a few ideas up my sleeve.