Poached Quinces

Quinces are also just now in season, and get them while they're good because the season is fleeting - October-December. Serve these over toast for breakfast, or over vegan vanilla ice cream for dessert. You could also chop up the quinces and get creative - use them as a pie filling, or for a quince crumble.

This recipe called for four quinces (or 1 and 3/4 pounds total), each peeled, cored, and cut into quarters. However, the quinces at my grocer were enormous, so only two of them equaled the suggested weight! Therefore, I cut each of my 2 quinces into 8 wedges, instead of cutting 4 quinces into 4 wedges. Either way works just as well.

Combine 4 cups of water, one cup of raw sugar, 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, one cinnamon stick, and one (1-inch) piece of lemon rind in a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil and cook for two minutes at that heat.

Add the quinces, reduce heat, and let simmer for 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. Let cool to room temperature.

Remove the quinces from the liquid with a slotted spoon or a fork. Drain the liquid through a sieve over a bowl, and discard the solids. Pour the reserved liquid back over the quinces.

One quince quarter (or "eighth" in my case) plus one tablespoon of liquid is 70 calories. These will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.

Cost:
sugar $3.19
lemon $0.99
quinces $3.00