Leaving out the fact that quince is not the most common fruit, and depending on where you live, it might be tough to find it; the quince shares an important history and good nutrition values.
The quince is a type of fruit that grows mainly in Asia and some parts of the Mediterranean, and it was discovered that it was used since ancient times, serving as a wish of fertility and love.
But if you have it in your hands, you wonder how to eat quince, and most importantly, if you can eat it raw since quince is part of the apple and pears family.
This is what we are going to see in the next part of the article.
Can you eat quince raw? No, in the majority of the cases, it is not possible to consume quince raw because of its hardness and astringent texture, either when ripe or unripe.
If you remained shocked about the answer given, it is because you never had in your hands a quince, and it wasn’t possible to feel the hardness of the fruit.
Does quince have to be cooked?
Yes, if you want to eat quince, you have to cook it; by doing it, you will soften the fruit and get the best of the flavour that the quince has.
We know that it is not possible to eat quince raw; the only option available for eating quince is cooking it.
There are many places where cooked quince is very popular, some of them are: Coast of Spain and some cities of Asia.
It is prevalent, especially in cities of Spain, to find a sandwich with quince inside, since it is said to increase the overall taste.
I can imagine that knowing that quince cannot be eaten raw is not enough for you, and you will be more curious to know how hot to cook it, and test its flavor.
Cooking quince is a simple process since you only have to insert it inside a bowl and boil it for 50 minutes. Before doing it, ensure that you properly peel the quince, and it will be best to cut it in half.
What does raw quince taste like?
It is hard to eat quince raw, but if you decide to make it, the taste will be similar to a tart apple, just a little bitter.
Almost no one in the world eats quince raw because of its disguising taste and toughness. Eating quince raw could make you decide never to eat it again.
The best thing that you can do, as mentioned before, is to cook quince, and add to it, some little wine. Anyway, we have to consider different ways of cooking the quince, and adding the wine could not be the only solution available for you.
Some other famous recipes involve the adding of sugar, honey and saucepan. The recipes that you will choose depend on the taste that you want. Both the recipes will increase the taste of quince and make the uneatable raw quince edible.
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How do you know when quince is cooked?
You will notice that the quince will be more softened and that the color will be passed from yellow to pink.
If you are preparing the quince cooked for the first time, some doubt could arise, such as knowing when to stop cooking the quince. You can consider that on average, a medium-size quince cut in half will be cooked in 45 minutes.
During that phase, you must keep an eye on the pot, and different to other types of foods, you will notice that the quince will be ready once its color is transformed from yellow to pink.
Another trick that you can use to understand when the quince is cooked is by testing it with a fork. By forking it, you will notice that the quince has become more softened, you can be sure that the quince is ready, and you can stop cooking it.
It is not hard to understand it; remember the two variables that dictated the state of readiness: color pink and softness.
Do you have to peel quince before cooking?
You are not obliged to peel the quince before cooking it, but by doing it, you will increase its overall taste by making the quince sweeter.
Peeling the quince is not so hard; in fact, you can easily do it by knife or some peeling instruments that you use to peel other types of fruits. If you decide not to peel the quince, ensure that no dirty parts are present before inserting it into the pot since it can contaminate everything.
Can you cook quince whole?
Yes, you can cook the quince whole until it softens and change the colour from yellow to pink.
When we consider the modality of cooking the quince, we have two options: cooking it whole or cutting it in slices.
If you find difficulty peeling the quince, you can try to use some tool you usually use for peeling other fruits. Or the other option could be to let it naturally and cook it whole.
If it is the first time you are trying to cook the quince, it will be best to cut the quince in slices and monitor the cooking process by looking at the transformation of the color.
Following that method will give you more control during the cooking phase, and you will be more sure of when the quince is ready.
Conclusion
Finding the quince is not so easy, and as soon as you have it in your hands, if there is something that you surely want to do, it is to eat it. Of course, the first thing that comes to your mind is to eat the quince raw, but I hope that with this short guide, it is clear that you cannot eat quince raw; instead, you have to cook it to guarantee more flavour.
