What Is Quince, The Once-Popular Fruit That Pre-Dates Apples?

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

If you've never walked into a home and smelled the sweet, floral, fruity aroma of a fruit basket in the kitchen, all the way across the room, perfuming the entire space, and found yourself wondering how fruit could smell so good — and so strong — you've likely never encountered quince. Quince (aka Cydonia oblonga) may look a little wonky, with its tough, bumpy exterior and patches of fuzz, but first impressions are everything, and its sweet fragrance will win you over before you even lay eyes on it. 

Once called golden apples, they've been associated with oases like the Garden of Eden or with sensual goddesses like Aphrodite. These bright yellow fruits have been the muse of famous artists for centuries, like Vincent Van Gogh, who painted a still-life of the fruit in 1888, or Fede Galizia, who painted quinces next to peaches, jasmine flowers, and a grasshopper during the early Baroque era.

What apples are to us, quinces were to ancient societies. There were centuries on end where quinces were far more known and cultivated than apples, and yet they seem to be forgotten and lost in obscurity these days. But quinces are versatile, flavorful, and have so much to offer. Replacing fig jam with quince paste will spice up any charcuterie board. You can also add quince slices to a slow-braised meat dish for subtle citrus notes and a hint of sweetness. Quinces are even rumored to have medicinal qualities. Once you hear of them, smell them, and taste them, there's basically no looking back.

Quince is a fruit-bearing plant that has been enjoyed for thousands of years. Once a staple menu item on ancient plates, it has since tapered off, becoming a more regional delicacy. With origins in Iran and Turkey, the quince plant is part of the Rosaceae, or rose, family — which also includes fruits like apples, pears, and peaches. The quince fruit even looks a bit like a pear and a bit like an apple: It has that same fleshy interior and colorful outer skin, but with a bumpier texture on the surface. In color, quince boasts a bright yellow hue, as previously mentioned. Once cut open, quince exudes a powerful and pleasant aroma. While its flesh also smells similar to that of pears and apples, the fruity scent is also accompanied by a fig-like sweetness and woodiness. 

But there are actually over 200 types of quinces globally nowadays (more on this below), with the more modern ones tending to have a lighter scent and less spicy bite than the more veteran varieties. Of the popular edible varieties of quince, some — like orange quince — are softer and can be eaten raw, and others — like pineapple quince — are more often cooked or baked. 

Ornamental quince plants, like the flowering quince — which produces brightly colored flowers — are often associated with edible quince trees. However, they are actually a different species entirely.

Although you don't often see quince on the menu these days, people have been eating quince for well over a millennium. Having first grown naturally in the Caucasus Mountains thousands of years ago, quinces were subsequently spread throughout Eurasia via trade during ancient times, swiftly becoming popular from the Mediterranean — where they were coined golden apples — to China. Quinces were even considered more common than apples until the late Middle Ages.

Quinces have also long been associated with ancient mythology and religion. For example, in the Greek story "Judgment of Paris," golden apples — or quince — were given to Aphrodite. This tale secured both quince's association with love and fertility, as well as their legacy as Aphrodite's fruit, while even becoming a traditional feature in Greek weddings. It has also been theorized that the apples spoken about in Biblical stories like the "Garden of Eden" were actually fruit from a quince tree. 

Finally, further than merely eating raw quince fruit, they were also incorporated into ancient recipes, both culinary and medicinal, and even into perfumes. For example, an ancient Roman cookbook by Apicius features stew recipes that include ingredients like quince along with leeks, beef, and honey. During both ancient times and the Middle Ages, the fruit was used to treat conditions like dysentery, in addition to being used as a diuretic and styptic. As previously mentioned, quince is also known for having a strong aroma, which has long made it a favorable ingredient in perfumes, from the ancient Greeks and Romans to this day.

Quince may resemble pears and apples in appearance, but the taste is a stark contrast from the latter fruits' sweet, juicy flavor profiles. Quince is a pome fruit, like apples and pears, but has more flavor similarities to other fruits in the pome category, like crab apples or rowans. Some pome fruits are quite acidic and bitter and can be astringent — and many quince varieties fall under this category, which is why they are commonly seen cooked down than eaten raw, which helps to reduce those qualities. These quince fruits have a tougher skin than that of pears or apples, and their flesh has tannins, which contribute to that astringency and give the mouth a dry feel and puckering sensation, similar to the role tannins play in red wine. The texture of the flesh can also be hard and gritty. 

Some varieties of quince can be eaten raw, but even a ripe quince can have sour, bitter notes. Most quince that you'll find in the U.S. and Europe is better suited for cooking than raw consumption. However, some sweeter varieties, like the Aromatnaya quince, have subtle pineapple and citrus notes and may be eaten without preparation. 

When quince fruit is cooked, its flavor and texture transform completely. The intense bitterness and hard consistency dissipate, and the fruit becomes much softer, with delicate citrus notes and sweetness.

Since many varieties of quince are not palatable when raw, this fruit is often enjoyed cooked, as previously mentioned. However, before cooking, there are a few simple but crucial steps to make the most out of the fruit — and the prepping process is very similar to prepping apples: peel the quince's bitter-tasting skin, remove the core, and slice the fruit. Take your time during this last step, as quince is much harder than apples or pears. 

Quince can then be prepared in many ways, with popular methods including stewing, poaching, or turning them into jam or jelly. In fact, quinces contain pectin, a naturally occurring soluble fiber and thickening agent often found in pome fruits — which, of course, is very useful when making jams or jellies. When quince is cooked, the tannins in the fruit get taken out of the equation, which results in a more subtle, sweet flavor. 

One of the most interesting transformations that quinces go through when cooked involves their coloration. Typically, when fruit is cooked, some of its coloration gets lost, leaving behind a subdued, duller version of its original appearance. However, with quince, there's a molecule called anthocyanin, which gets released during the cooking process. This molecule causes the quince's appearance to change from white in its raw state to a reddish color in its cooked state.

It may not be too surprising to learn that some of the most in-demand quince products are quince preserves, especially considering that this fruit has been prepared in jams, jellies, marmalades, and pastes for centuries. Although the origin of the word marmalade is debatable, one story suggests that it evolved from the Portuguese word for quince — marmelo — even though it has since become much more common for folks to use oranges as a cheaper alternative for marmalade.

Nowadays, quince is more often enjoyed as a paste — a traditional spread that results from the fruit's pectin allowing it to set after being stewed in honey. Quince paste, also called quince cheese in the UK, membrillo in Spain, and marmelada in Portugal, is also common in Latin America. 

It's solid and uniform with a jelly-like texture and deep red hue, soft enough to be spooned out, but firm enough to slice with a knife. In Spain and Portugal, quince paste is typically served with cheese. For example, in the former, Manchego cheese is a go-to pairing option, with the sweet, fruity paste providing a nice contrast to the salty, nutty cheese. In Cuba, quince paste is sometimes used in puff pastry desserts called pastelitos, which have a range of fillings like cream cheese and various fruit pastes.

Unfortunately, finding fresh quince in the U.S. can be difficult, since they aren't very popular stateside and most standard grocery stores don't carry them. So, your best bet to secure quince is to search for them when they are in season — which is typically in late summer into early fall, though it varies a bit depending on the region, and the fruit tends to be sold in the U.S. starting in September. So, make sure to keep an eye out for them at farmers markets and specialty food stores during this period. 

Some apple orchards carry on a tradition of planting just one quince tree, so if you are super curious about quince and live near an apple orchard, it may also be worth checking if they have any quince trees on the property. As for quince products, if you want to spice up your charcuterie board and grab some quince preserves, they may be found at specialty food stores or are easily available online.

Purchase 12.4 ounces of Matiz organic Spanish quince paste on World Market for $6.29.

Purchase 11.99 ounces of Wilkin and Sons Tiptree quince jelly on British Food Shop for $12.19.

Purchase 10 ounces of The Casa Market quince jam on Amazon for $14.99.

For avid gardeners and horticulturalists, quince trees can be a great addition to your yard or garden. Whether you want to try the fruit for yourself or cultivate a garden like Martha Stewart, who has European quinces growing on her property in New York, planting a quince tree can be a fun project that yields delicious rewards. Quince trees are resilient and can withstand temperature drops down to -4 degrees Fahrenheit. They can also handle many different soil types, but nutrient-rich soil that retains moisture is ideal. 

The best time to plant a quince tree is while it's still dormant — namely, between November and March — as hot and dry weather can be damaging to the plant. Prioritize choosing a spot for the tree that gets ample sunlight, and stake it at an angle so it's stable and shaded from the wind (which could potentially cause damage to the tree). Just make sure to keep at least 10 feet of space between trees, if you're planting more than one, so that they have proper space to grow.

Quince trees also don't do well without water for periods longer than one or two weeks, so it is important to water them during prolonged dry periods. To best maintain the trees, make sure to weed around them so they won't compete for resources. Finally, pruning is necessary during the winter to rid the then-dormant plant of any diseased or dead spots. These maintenance efforts are all worth it in time, as quince trees usually start bearing fruit within five or six years.

On its own, a single quince fruit is low-calorie and packed with nutrients, typically coming in at around 52 calories and filled with vitamin C, thiamine, vitamin B6, iron, potassium, copper, magnesium, and fluorine. Vitamin C and copper are the most prevalent, with the fruit having about 15 percent of one's daily value in vitamin C and 13 percent in copper. Quince is also packed with antioxidants, like flavonols, which could potentially help reduce inflammation and lower the risk of heart disease. 

As previously mentioned, quince has been used in traditional medicine for centuries — and it's still used to treat conditions today. Indeed, although there isn't much scientific research on its actual effectiveness, the fruit is thought to aid in a variety of ailments, so more research will be required to definitively assess quince's medicinal impact. For example, quince has historically been used as a traditional remedy to help treat digestive issues like IBD, stomach ulcers, acid reflux (including heartburn in children), and morning sickness for pregnant people, in addition to being used to reduce allergic reaction symptoms.

As previously mentioned, there are over 200 varieties of quinces around the world. Fruit quince trees can vary, with some types producing pear-shaped quinces and others producing apple-shaped ones. Although the fruits look slightly different, they taste relatively the same. The most common apple-shaped quince varieties include Aromatnaya, Serbian Gold, and Leskovac. Aromatnaya quinces have a bright yellow color and are mostly used for cooking. Serbian Gold is a heartier quince tree that can withstand diseases like leaf blight more than others. The Leskovac variety also hails from Serbia and is known for its small size and juicy, aromatic fruit. 

As for the pear-shaped quince varieties, the Vranja, Champion, and Meeches Prolific are among the most common. The Vranja quince, which is also Serbian, has roots dating back over 200 years. With a light green-yellow coloration, it's known for its strong aroma and bitter taste. The Champion quince ripens early and has a pinkish color when cooked down. Finally, the Meeches Prolific quinces, which have a pungent yet sweet smell, are big compared to other varieties, with some reaching weights of a pound.

If you aren't preserving quince, fresh quince is best kept in the refrigerator for up to two weeks, or in a cold, dry, dark place. They can also last up to 12 months in the freezer, but make sure to prep them beforehand to prevent future hassle (for example, wash, peel, cut, core, etc.). Bruised or punctured quinces won't last as long, and if they start to rot, make sure to separate them from other quinces, because it could affect their shelf life and cause them to rot more quickly. If you've preserved quince as jam or jelly, it can last up to a year as long as it is stored in a properly sealed jar. 

One of the most pleasant ways to store quince, although it may limit their shelf life, is to simply leave them on the counter. Known for that aforementioned powerful, fragrant aroma, a handful of quinces could infuse an entire kitchen with floral, fruity aromas. Not many fruits have that same capability, so for the full experience, leaving a quince or two out while storing the others would give you the best of both worlds.