Know your quinces: Chaenomeles

23rd November 2021

The japonica, or flowering quince, is from the genus Chaenomeles and produces a fruit in autumn that can be mistaken for a true quince; it is apple shaped, hard and wooden, and tastes (experts say) like an unripe apple with the acidity of a lemon. The fruits soften and become less astringent when 'bletted' by frost - bletting is has been described as the process of 'softening beyond ripening' or 'partially rotting'. The fruit is very high in pectin so can be turned into a preserve with the addition of enough sugar and something else to provide the flavour.