There is something terribly nostalgic about fruit crumble for me. Growing up in Wales my mum would regularly make crumble with the fruit we would harvest from the garden. Usually rhubarb, wild blackberries and apples. So cooking with ‘seasonal’ ingredients is something I grew up doing and something I have continued to do in my adult life. Using Quince as my main ingredient here, I thought I would show you how easy it is to use this amazing fruit!

Quince should be available at your local farmers markets at this time of year 🙂

I went to Paddy’s markets to get my produce and I find they have a great selection of local and seasonal produce on offer. Plus, if you have time it’s a good excuse to see what else the market has to offer! If you are ever looking for something unusual or hard to find (like oriental herbs) you will usually find them at Paddy’s markets! I was excited to find Quince and I thought this would be a great opportunity to make a seasonal fruit recipe! Quince isn’t just for the cheese board!

Although this recipe is definitely something I would reserve for the cheat day it is vegan, gluten free and dairy free.

About Quince:

Quince has an amazing perfume when fully ripe and it is a fruit resembling a pear that was first cultivated in the Middle East. It belongs to the apple family with much the same shape as an apple but a distinct furry skin. However, it’s good to note that Quince cannot be eaten like pears or apples, with the exception of the less cultivated pineapple variety, but need to be baked or frozen to eliminate their acidity.

Once ripened, the yellowish fruit still has a hard exterior, much like a winter squash. If you are not using them immediately, cooking guides recommend storing them in the refrigerator for up to two weeks. The seeds can be poisonous in large quantities, so many people discard them. The core of the quince is very hard, but using a sharp paring knife will divest it of both the unusable core and the seeds.

Though the interior of the quince is white when raw, cooking will turn it a deep red. Like apples, this fruit contains a lot of pectin, so it is frequently used for jams and jellies.

I thought Quince would add an amazing tartness to the traditional apple and blackberry crumble and a good excuse to use this amazing fruit in a seasonal recipe.

   You will need:

Crumble:

1 cup shredded coconut

1/2 cup almond meal

1/2 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup of stevia

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp cardamom

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp vanilla powder

4x tbsp coconut oil, melted

Fruit filling:

3x Quince, peeled, cored and cubed

2x Apples, peeled, cored and cubed

100g blackberries

1x lime, juiced

1 tbsp. coconut oil

1/4 cup maple syrup

1 tsp. Acai

2-3 cups water

Topping:

Coconut milk ice cream, I used Over the Moo

Method:

• Prepare your quince. Place into a pan on a medium heat with the coconut oil, maple syrup, lime juice, acai and 1 cup of water. Let simmer on a low heat for about an hour.
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C – Fan forced
• Combine all of the ingredients for the crumble into a mixing bowl.
• Prepare the apple and blackberries and place into the pan with the Quince, apple and orange juice and acai into a bowl. Mix well.
• Place the crumble on top of the fruit mixture.
• Bake for approx 30 minutes, checking occasionally
• Serve with dollops of ice cream
• Enjoy
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Notes:

• You can be inventive with the fruit you use, like rhubarb and forest fruits.

Paddys Markets – part of Sydney Markets

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