French pate de Coing (Quince paste) recipe is a typical winter recipe for many Mediterranean countries, called Cotognata in Italy and Membrillo in Spain. Quinces are special apples full of pectin, so their jam is firm and can be cut into solid squares. You can eat it as candy, with a piece of bread, or like they do in Spain with Manchego cheese.

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What is a Coing - Quince
It is called Pâte de Coing in French, Cotognata in Italian, and Membrillo in Spanish.
Quince is practically an apple but cannot be eaten raw as it is very hard and bitter. But once cooked, its taste is sweet and fruity.
The flavor of the quince is very distinctive, halfway between a pear and an apple, and because the quince has a high content of pectin, the paste is firmer than a jam.
Quince paste is like candies; cut it into square bites, and they last for several weeks. It is a great edible gift and a gluten-free alternative to Christmas cookies.
For more unusual preserves you can make as edible presents, check out the category: Canned & Jams
Also, check the recipes:
- Homemade liqueurs
- Homemade Crystallized Violets
- Pepper jelly
- Concord grape Jelly
- Balsamic fig glaze
- Chocolate covered figs
Various versions
I checked out different recipes in different languages and found different versions.
Some peel the apples, some cook them whole, some add the sugar, and others add the caramel. The result may be different.
The Italian and French recipes are very similar, so I follow them.
Ingredients
- Three quince
- Sugar
- Lemon
Step by step instructions with images
This recipe is separated into three parts: first, we boil the quince, then mash it and cook it with the sugar, then wait two days before we cut it into cubes and serve.
Mashing the quince
- Clean and cut the quince into quarters
Fill a large pan with waterand add some lemon juice
- Place the quince into the pan and let them boil for 30 minutes
- Drain them from their water
- While still hot, pass them through a vegetable strainer
- If you use a KitchenAid strainer, it will automatically remove the seeds and skin
Hint: if you are using a manual vegetable strainer, you have to remove the seeds and the skin before straining them
- Check the weight of the mashed quince
- For each 2 lb - 1 kg of cooked quince, you need to weigh 28 oz - 800 gr of sugar
Caramelizing the quince paste
- Place the mashed quince and the sugar back into a pan
- Bring it to a boil while stirring
- Simmer for 40 minutes, continuously stirring, as the quince will tend to stick to the pot
- You will slowly see the paste changing its color into deep orange-pink and will detach from the walls of the pot. The quince paste is ready
- Cover a rectangular mold with aluminum foil or parchment paper
- Pour the quince paste immediately before it cools down
- Shape it flat with a wet knife or spatula
- Cover with a cheesecloth and let it rest for 48 hours
Hint: the quince paste will be very sticky, do not put the cheesecloth directly over it. The paste needs to dry out, so place something on top that will let the air circulate.
Cutting it into cubes
- Remove the quince paste from the mold
- Cut it into slices
- Cut each slice into a square or rectangular bite
- You can coat them with sugar or serve them as they are
- It can be eaten like candies or served as the Spanish do on a piece of bread with manchego cheese
How to keep and serve it
Once it is ready, I cut it into slices and let them dry. You can store them in airtight containers or jars.
Sprinkle with sugar to avoid them from sticking to each other.
I keep it on a plate with Marron Glace, nuts, and gingerbread cookies. When the boys want a snack, they can help themselves.
Equipment
I recommend using an electrical vegetable strainer from KitchenAid that automatically removes the seeds and skin from the flesh.
It simplifies the entire process, and it is a good investment if you want to make several fruit preserves or mashed vegetables and potato recipes like, for example, gnocchi.
Other equipments you would need are:
- Large pan
- Wooden spoon
- Metal or heatproof rectangular mold
- Spatula
- Food scale to measure weight
- Aluminum foil or parchment paper
You can use an electrical caldron if you do not want to stir for 40 minutes. You can also use it for polenta and risotto
Top tips
- I recommend using an electrical vegetable strainer that automatically removes the seeds and skin from the flesh.
- If you are using a manual vegetable strainer, you have to remove the seeds and the skin before straining them
- Simmer for 40 minutes, continuously stirring, as the quince will tend to stick to the pot
- The quince paste will be very sticky, do not put the cheesecloth directly over it. The paste needs to dry out, so place something on top that will let the air circulate.
- You can store them in airtight containers or jars.
- Sprinkle with sugar to avoid them from sticking to each other.
If you are making this Quince Paste Recipe, leave your comment below I would like to hear from you. You can find more delicious ideas if you FOLLOW ME on Facebook, YouTube, or sign up to my newsletter.
📋 Quince Paste Recipe
Ingredients (Commissions Earned)
- 3 quince yield 22 oz - 625 gr of mashed quince
- 1 lemon juice
- 15 oz caster sugar For each 2 lb - 1 kg of cooked quince, you need to weigh 28 oz - 800 gr of sugar
Equipment (Commissions Earned)
Instructions
Mashing the quince
- Clean and cut the quince into quarters3 quince
- Fill a large pan with water and add some lemon juice1 lemon juice
- Place the quince into the pan and let them boil for 30 minutes
- Drain them from their water
- While still hot, pass them through a vegetable strainer
- If you use a KitchenAid strainer, it will automatically remove the seeds and skin
- Check the weight of the mashed quince, I got 22 oz - 625 gr with 3 quince
- For each 2 lb - 1 kg of cooked quince, you need to weigh 28 oz - 800 gr of sugar15 oz caster sugar
Caramelizing the quince paste
- Place the mashed quince and the sugar back into a pan
- Bring it to a boil while stirring
- Simmer for 40 minutes, continuously stirring, as the quince will tend to stick to the pot
- You will slowly see the paste changing its color into deep orange-pink and will detach from the walls of the pot. The quince paste is ready
- Cover a rectangular mold with aluminum foil or parchment paper
- Pour the quince paste immediately before it cools down
- Shape it flat with a wet knife or spatula
- Cover with a cheesecloth and let it rest for 48 hours
Cutting it into cubes
- Remove the quince paste from the mold
- Cut it into slices
- Cut each slice into a square or rectangular bites
- You can coat them with sugar or serve them as they are
- It can be eaten like candies or served as the Spanish do on a piece of bread with manchego cheese
Video
Notes
- I recommend using an electrical vegetable strainer that automatically removes the seeds and skin from the flesh.
- If you are using a manual vegetable strainer, you have to remove the seeds and the skin before straining them
- Simmer for 40 minutes, continuously stirring, as the quince will tend to stick to the pot
- The quince paste will be very sticky, do not put the cheesecloth directly over it. The paste needs to dry out, so place something on top that will let the air circulate.
- You can store them in airtight containers or jars.
- Sprinkle with sugar to avoid them from sticking to each other.
Marlynn | UrbanBlissLife
I enjoy quince but have never cooked it at home. This is such a helpful post - thank you!
Laura
thank you, I am glad you find it helpful
Nicola @ Happy Healthy Motivated
I live in Spain, so I know what quince paste is, but I've never even thought about making it from scratch before. Looks fab! Better than the stuff you get in the shops 🙂
Laura
yes, it is easy and they last for at least 3 months
Brian Jones
I really struggled to get into quince, we have a tree/bush at the end of our plot but give them away to neighbours who use it to flavour pálinka, a fruit brandy not dissimilar to Eau de Vie. I'll have to give this a try.
Laura
I really wish you were my neighbour, you would have a supply every winter
Natalie
Looks delicious! I love quince!
Laura
thanks
Amy | The Cook Report
Sounds so tasty!!
Laura
thanks