Most people grow flowering quince for its gorgeous, early spring blooms, and I can’t really blame them. The flowers are show-stoppers, and may be orange, magenta, pale pink, or red. Unfortunately (at least for us foragers), many modern hybrids are bred to be sterile, and don’t produce fruit. Apparently some people find the fruit to be a nuisance. Let’s not call those people wrong…they’re just misinformed. Clearly they have never tasted flowering quince fruit.
Double-flowered shrubs have been bred for bloom, not fruit. So look for single-flowered shrubs, and check the plant tag. If a plant is fertile, it may indicate this on the tag. That’s how I chose my ‘Toyo-Nishiki’ cultivar.
Many people assume the fruit is inedible, perhaps because they tried biting into one as a child. Raw, the fruit is better suited to being flung in a slingshot than served for dessert. Ah, but cooked is an entirely different story. The application of heat brings color to the fruit, softens its sour flavor (it’s still tart!), and transforms the texture from rock hard to satisfyingly succulent.
Leave the fruit on the shrub until it begins to fall of its own accord, which can be as late as October or November, depending on where you forage.
Flowering quince fruit is much smaller than true quince fruit, but the flavor and texture is very similar, and flowering quince can be used in many true quince recipes.
Like its neighbours – Mahonia japonica and Berberis Darwinii, this flowering quince also produces edible fruits. These fruits are high in vitamin C and though they are too bitter and sharp to enjoy raw from the shrub, they are great in the jams and jellies of the season.
Many people assume the fruit is inedible, perhaps because they tried biting into one as a child. Raw, the fruit is better suited to being flung in a slingshot than served for dessert. Ah, but cooked is an entirely different story. The application of heat brings color to the fruit, softens its sour flavor (it’s still tart!), and transforms the texture from rock hard to satisfyingly succulent.
Flowering quince fruit is much smaller than true quince fruit, but the flavor and texture is very similar, and flowering quince can be used in many true quince recipes.
Leave the fruit on the shrub until it begins to fall of its own accord, which can be as late as October or November, depending on where you forage.
Double-flowered shrubs have been bred for bloom, not fruit. So look for single-flowered shrubs, and check the plant tag. If a plant is fertile, it may indicate this on the tag. That’s how I chose my ‘Toyo-Nishiki’ cultivar.
Most people grow flowering quince for its gorgeous, early spring blooms, and I can’t really blame them. The flowers are show-stoppers, and may be orange, magenta, pale pink, or red. Unfortunately (at least for us foragers), many modern hybrids are bred to be sterile, and don’t produce fruit. Apparently some people find the fruit to be a nuisance. Let’s not call those people wrong…they’re just misinformed. Clearly they have never tasted flowering quince fruit.
Flowering quince is a worthwhile garden addition, being attractive and unfussy, with a reputation for being tough as nails! The flowers attract bees and other pollinators, and birds and mammals may eat the fruit, with the dense bushes also making good shelter for them.
Not many know that the hard, yellow fruits of the flowering quince, a popular garden shrub, make a fragrant ingredient. This edible ornamental brings an exotic, tart and aromatic flavour to seasonal cocktails.
Chaenomeles are compact, small, usually spiny, deciduous shrubs with dense, tangled branches and oval, pointed leaves with serrated edges. The beautiful and prolific cup-shaped blossoms (pictured below), about 3 to 4cm across, with five petals, or more for double-flowered forms, emerge in early spring before the leaves.
Too hard, sour and astringent to be eaten raw, the flavour of flowering quince resembles the true quince (Cydonia oblonga), but is somewhat sharper, and less delicate. In Japan, the fruit is used for jams, jellies, candies and liqueurs, as well as cough sweets. It contains higher levels of vitamin C than lemons and is known as an anti-inflammatory.
In Japan, quinces, sugar, and alcohol are mixed to make a sweet-sour liqueur. The fruits can be infused in spirits, such as Japanese shochu, vodka, gin or brandy. To make a liqueur, half-fill a preserving jar with fairly thinly-sliced, or grated, quince. Top up with spirit, seal and leave to infuse for three months. Strain and bottle, adding sugar, simple syrup or honey to taste and to offset dryness. Let it age for at least another month, ideally longer.
Japanese Quince / Cidonija- You must try these fruits
FAQ
Are flowering quince fruit edible?
What can I do with ornamental quince fruit?
Can you eat all types of quince?
What is the difference between quince and flowering quince?
Can you eat cooked quince?
You can use cooked quince to top oatmeal, yogurt, or roasted meats. Quinces are an ancient fruit with a unique flavor and several potential benefits. They may help treat digestive disorders, allergies, and high blood sugar, though more research is needed. Unlike other fruits, quinces aren’t eaten raw.
What does quince taste like?
Quince is a lesser known fruit similar in appearance to an apple or pear. It is known for being a good source of vitamins A and C, but has an extremely tart flavor. However, when cooked or combined with other fruits, quinces are flavorful and may be the next addition to some of your favorite meals. Peel the quinces with a vegetable peeler.
Can you eat Japanese quince raw?
The small apple-like fruits of Japanese quince are certainly not eaten raw, since they are simply too acidic and astringent. Unlike the typical quince, you would never eat these straight from the garden. However, you should not let this put you off, since there are a range of other ways to use these fruits if they are growing in your garden.
What goes well with quince fruit?
Cooked quince fruit pairs especially well with fresh bay, vanilla beans, lemon and orange zest, juniper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, cumin, anise, and five-spice powder. Greek yogurt, labneh, whipped cream, and vanilla ice cream are winning additions to desserts with quinces.