Yet again the quince tree has produced a prolific crop. This is just a smattering of them. I am giving away by the dozen. I love trees that produce so much that I can be generous to others.
In other years I have tried preserving quinces many ways. The traditional bottling methods I have found to be incredibly difficult and time consuming. Even then often the quince cores are rock solid.
This year by shear chance I came across my new and permanent method. No more trying to peel rock solid quinces or decore them.
Now I quarter the quinces, take a full slice out that removes the core section, put them in a single layer and only just cover with water. They go in the bottom of the oven with whatever else I am cooking and whatever temp. I leave them in the oven when it is cooling. Make a sugar syrup of 3 parts water to 1 part sugar and boil well. Remove hotish quinces from the oven, the skin just peels off. Put them into sterilised jars, top up with sugar syrup and seal. Sooo easy.
This year I am trying to economise. Seed for the garden actually costs a lot. Still cheaper than buying plants but I do go through a good bit of seed. For the last couple of years I have saved tomato seed from my mother, which came from my uncle, which came from my granddad. It has worked well. This year I have saved berlotti beans, lettuce, the tomatoes seeds you see (no longer just one type) and am waiting for my current climbing beans to set seed. Not prolific yet but starting.
I have managed to bottle 20 jars of black boy peaches. I have learnt from previous attempts that it makes aweful jam. So I struck the thought of making black boy peach sauce (like tomatoe or plum sauce).
