Marmalade of Quinces of Damsons

Marmalade of Quinces of Damsons is a traditional Elizabethan recipe for a classic jam or marmalade made from cooking quinces or damsons until you can extract the pulp and then cooking the pulp with sugar until it reaches the setting point. The full recipe is presented here and I hope you enjoy this classic Elizabethan version of: Marmalade of Quinces of Damsons.

prep time

less than 30 minutes

cook time

1 hour

Total Time:

80 minutes

Serves:

12–15

Rating:

Tags : Vegetarian Recipes British Recipes

Original Recipe

To make Gingerbread (from Sir Hugh Platt's Delightes of Ladies to adorne their Persons, Tables, Closets, and distillatories with Beauties, banquets,perfumes and waters. Reade, Practise, and Censure 1602)

31. To make marmelade of Quinces or Damſons.

When you haue boyled your Quinces or Damſons ſufficiently, ſtraine them; then dry the pulpe in a pan on the fire, and when you ſee there is no water in it, but that it begineth to bee ſtiffe, then mixe two pounds of ſugar with 3. poūd of pulp, this marmelade will be white marmelade: and if you will haue it looke with an high colour, put your ſugar and your pulpe together, ſo ſoone as your pulpe is drawne, and let them both boile together, and ſo it will looke of the colour of ordinarie marmelade, like vnto a ſtewed warden, but if you dry your pulpe firſt, it will looke white and take leſſe ſugar: you ſhall know when it is thicke enough, by putting a little into a ſawcer, letting it coole before you box it.

Modern Redaction

Ingredients:

2kg quinces or damson plums
500g sugar per 1kg of fruit pulp

Method:

Coarsely chop the fruit, place in a pan with a few tablespoons of water, bring to a simmer, cover the pan tightly and cook for about 30 minutes for the plums and 50 minutes for the quinces (or until the fruit are soft and have broken down to the consistency of apple sauce).

Take off the heat, turn into a fine-meshed sieve and press through the fruit pulp into a clean pan. Place this pan on the heat and cook gently, stirring constantly, until the pulp is thick.

Now weigh the pulp and to every 1kg of fruit add 500g caster sugar. Place back on the heat and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes then take off the heat and spoon into cleaned and sterilized jars that have been warmed in the oven. Seal securely, allow to cool then label and store.

If you want a darker, more marmalade-like preserve, then when you add the sugar to the fruit, boil it for between 5 and 10 minutes to caramelize the sugar before potting.

Find more Hugh Plat Recipes Hereand more Traditional Elizabethan Recipes Here.