It is quince time!
I was so excited when I saw them on the Union Square Greenmarket last weekend in NYC. Their perfume filled up my room and it reminded me of home. My mum would always make quince jam and it was, and still is one of my favorites.
Quince is such an unusual fruit, very astringent and tart, but wonderful when cooked. There are numerous things you could do with it. It is mostly known as ''Membrillo'', Quince paste, or as we call it in Dalmatia (southern region of Croatia) - ''Kotonjada'' or Quince cheese. It pairs so well with a Brie type of cheese or something like Manchego.
What I did was just simple quince jam, which is basically quince cut in one-bite chunks and then placed in a pot (rice cooker in my case - yes that thing is magical, you can do anything in it!) with a little water and sugar to taste. Once it was cooked, which is quite fast, I blended it, poured into jars, and voila!