Quince Sauce + Cough Remedy
Last week I picked about 50 lb of quinces from a neighbor’s tree. For those who are unfamiliar, quince is like a blend between an apple and a pear with the fuzziness of a peach, typically consumed well-cooked. In Persian cooking, it’s commonly preserved as a jam “moraba” or made into stews “khoresh”. Using the flavors of my Persian heritage, I’ve been making this quince sauce all week.
If you’re interested in buying quince but not sure where to find it, check your neighborhood first but you may also find it at a Persian market (like Sahand Persian Grocery in Kirkland or Oskoo Market in Bellevue, locally) during the Fall. Sometimes a natural foods store like PCC Community Markets carries them as well.
Quince Sauce
Ingredients
5 lb quince (okay to mix in apples if you’d like)
2 tbsp rosewater
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp freshly ground cardamom
1 tsp ground ginger
1 Star anise
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp maple syrup (optional)
Juice of 1 lime or 1 dried lime (limu omani-available at a Persian market)
Preparation
Chop quinces into quarters, using an apple corer to remove the seeds. Reserve the seeds for later.
Add all ingredients to a slow cooker or heavy bottomed stovetop cooking pot.
Cook on low (stirring occasionally to prevent sticking to the bottom of the pot) for 12-24 hours or until the quince have turned from yellow to jewel red. The fruits should mash up naturally.
Remove the cinnamon stick, star anise and dried lime (if using) before serving.
Enjoy warm or store in jars in the fridge for up to a week.
Quince Seed Cough Remedy
Quince seeds are naturally high in pectin. See the gooeyness around the seeds in the photo below? Quince seed “tea” is a traditional Persian cough remedy because it creates a highly viscous fluid that coats the throat just like marshmallow root or slippery elm would. Because of these same properties, this could be a helpful remedy for supporting the lining of the GI tract if you struggle with gut inflammation or intestinal permeability/leaky gut.
Preparation
Mix fresh or dried quince seeds in warm water and stir until the pectin is dissolved. Strain out the seeds and drink the viscous fluid.
If you want to save your seeds to use for later in the cold/flu season, dehydrate them fully and store in an airtight container.
