What is membrillo?
Membrillo is a fruit cheese, a preserve made from puréed fruit and sugar and set thick, so it can be sliced. In Spain it is often paired with manchego cheese as a popular snack.
Membrillo: Quince cheese paste
Discover what is membrillo, and the best membrillo recipe for making quince paste. Words by Lia Leendertz, photos by Jason Ingram, styling by Niki Goss
Prep: 10 mins
Published: September 26, 2023 at 9:35 am
Ingredients
- 1.8kg Quince peeled, cored and chopped
- Caster sugar
- 1 Vanilla pod, split
Methods
Step 1
Put the quince pieces and the vanilla pod into a pan and just cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer until the quince pieces are soft, about 40 minutes.
Step 2
Drain the quince pieces (you can save the juice and turn it into quince jelly) then transfer them to kitchen scales and weigh them. This is the weight of sugar you’ll need.
Step 3
Put the quince into a food processor and blend until smooth, then return to the saucepan with the sugar and cook on a low heat for 1 ½ hours, stirring occasionally.
Step 4
Transfer to a lined baking tray and bake in a low heat (150ºC, gas mark 2) for one hour.
Step 5
Cool and slice. Store for up to a year in an airtight container in the fridge.
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© Jason Ingram