quince-anera

no, i'm not talking about latin american coming-of-age parties. i'm talkin' 'bout quince, the winter-hardy almost-an-apple, not-quite-a-pear that Pliny the Elder liked to eat raw.


maggie has been doing some work with a friend of ours who's a landscaper/gardener, and one of the benefits is that we get to eat things that the clients don't want. these have included sorrel, lamb's quarters, oregano, nasturtiums, and now, quince. she came home the other day with about 15 quinces (yes, that's quince quinces for the spanish speakers) that had fallen on the ground, and instantly we knew what to do: quince butter.

we got out our copy of putting food by, chopped up the quince, heated 'em for a while, then ran 'em through the old-timey food mill we borrowed from our friends down the street. boil a lot more, add a couple spices, and you've got thick, thick butter (ours is almost like a paste). and water vapor clinging to all of your walls.

specific recipe comin' soon...