Pickled quince is my favourite accompaniment to cheese or Winter salads. Probably the last preserve of the year, I find it such a special way to turn this humble, old-fashioned fruit into a seasonal delicacy that captures all the tastes of Autumn.
I make this with around 5-6 quince, depending on their size. In a heavy-based saucepan, I add 800ml of apple cider vinegar, 450g of brown sugar, 4 cloves, 5 allspice berries, 5 black peppercorns and 2 bay leaves and I bring it to the boil gently to ensure the sugar dissolves well.
I peel the quince, cut them into eights and remove the core before adding them to the vinegar syrup. Over a low heat, I cook them covered for around 15 minutes. They need to be soft whilst holding their shape. I leave them to cool a little with the lid off.
Then, I pack them into sterilised Kilner jars (I use the oven method for this) and return the vinegar and spices to the heat for another 10 minutes until reduced and thickened a little. When that's done, I pour it on top of the fruit in the jars, ensuring the spices (bay removed) are shared between the jars. I seal them immediately.
They will keep unopened for about a year (keep in the fridge once opened). If you can resist tucking into them, they benefit from maturing in the jars for several weeks. They'll be ready for Christmas! And they make fab gifts too.