"They dined on mince and slices of quince"

Quinces and Oranges

Quince are abundant in Crete and in fact the old name for the area around Hania is Kydonia, from the greek word for quince. Added to this that is 1864 Edward Lear the well know writer and traveller ( not to mention his limericks) visited Crete and stayed in my village it seems appropriate to share a recipe for a quince preserve or "Spoon sweet".

Quince preserve with homemade bread as served at an Edward Lear night.

2 lbs quinces - about four large quinces, 

300 grams sugar.  

4 cups water 

Juice of 1 lemon

1 1-litre jar, or if preferred four 250-ml jars

Wash the quinces very well, scrubbing the peel to get rid of any tiny hairs

Without peeling, halve the quinces and remove the core and seeds - hard work!

Slice the quinces into 1-inch thick pieces, and then cut the larger slices in half.

 Submerge the quince slices in a big bowl with enough water to cover for several hours, to soften them before cooking. Make sure all of the quinces are submerged as they may discolour.

In large pan add the sugar, water and lemon juice and cook them over medium heat, until the sugar dissolves. 

Drain the quince pieces and add them to the pot. Bring the pot to the  boil, and cook, uncovered, over medium heat for about anywhere between one  to 2 ½ hours depending on the softness of the quinces and how dark you would like the preserve.

Fill the jars and leave to cool before you seal them.

Serve as a spoon sweet or on top of yoghourt or ice cream

"There was a young lady from Crete

Whose toilette was far from complete…."