SC - Thin is in . .. .lose the butt fatty!

[Lee-Gwen Booth]

Unto Alison does Gwynydd send Greetings and Thanks:

Thanks for this - I will try it out.  I guess that if I am not going through
the boiling and skimming of the honey I can just add "to taste" (but I have
done enough confectionery cooking to know that I can't add more later in the
process!).  Even I can manage that (*grin*)!  These ideas have really made
the recipe look approachable and I am grateful.

>  DON'T get the cheapest you can find--you won't like the results.  When
> money is a problem, get the cheapest you can drink.

Oh, I do know about only cooking with a wine one can drink!  Especially in a
recipe where the flavour of the wine will be such an integral part of the
taste of the finished product. In a pasta sauce or whatever, I find that I
can use dregs (read - leftovers from yesterday's dinner party, taken from
half full glasses!) which are undrinkable (but not quite vinegar), but this
is a whole different kettle of quinces.  I will try it with the red
Lambrusco because it is drinkable and it is also fruity and not desperately
"robust" (a wine on which my Lady - who likes sweet wine - and I - who grew
up drinking cask claret - can agree.).

> 2.  put the quince pieces in a non-reactive pot (glass, stainless steel,
> etc.  I bet you can do this in your microwave.  Check a mundane cook book
for cooking directions for a similar fruit, try
> that, and check often.

Hmm, not the microwave, I think.  If it works I will want to make it in
larger quantities than the microwave can handle usefully.  Unfortunately,
the same problem applies to the pressure cooker which would otherwise be my
preferred way of cooking such a tough fruit.

> Use a food processor if you have one.  Then strain.  I forget how fibrous
a
> quince is, it may be the reason you want to strain.  You are looking for
> something like absolutely smooth applesauce, by now.

I will use my Mouli puree-er (don't know what it is actually called).  I
find this better than blending - and equivalent to putting it through a
strainer.  I suppose that I could try drying it in my food dehydrator.
Well, I do have some time to play around with it if I am going to make it to
sell - and my Lady will almost certainly eat the failed batches even if I
can't.  I sometimes think that she is the cooking equivalent of tone-deaf!

If you can raise
> ducks, you can stir the quinces in honey.  We have faith in you!  Cook
> away, and let us know how it turns out.

Oh, thank you for the faith, I will try to live up to it! (*grin*)  But
ducks - in my experience - don't require any help.  They just wander about
the yard and hide their eggs!

Thanks again for this - I will try it out and let you know how it goes


> Gwynydd,