One of the questions I am asked most often is how I survive without bread, cake, pasta, or potatoes. Don’t I miss them?
Honestly, not really. Perhaps bread, a little bit.
What I do miss sometimes is fruit.
There are a number of fruits that can be enjoyed on a keto lifestyle in moderation, but some are more seasonal than others. One fruit I look forward to every year is quince.
Quince season arrives in late autumn and early winter, and I was counting down the months until I could get my hands on some. Since then, I have cooked them several times.
If you have never come across a quince before, imagine a fruit somewhere between an apple and a pear. Raw quince is firm, aromatic, and almost impossible to eat. In fact, the first time I cut into one, I wondered what all the fuss was about. But something magical happens when it is cooked. The flesh softens, the colour deepens, and the fragrance becomes warm, floral, and almost honey-like.
Quinces are popular in many parts of Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and South America, where they are used in everything from preserves and desserts to savoury dishes. In South Africa, they tend to appear only briefly during the cooler months, so I always keep an eye out for them when the season arrives.
In the beginning, I tried to peel and core them before cooking. That was hard work. Eventually, I decided to leave the peel on. All you need to do is scrub off the slightly furry coating, and they cook beautifully in their skins. Whole food, less waste, and much less effort.
More recently, I have started cooking them first and removing the cores afterwards. Once the fruit is soft, it is much easier to scoop out the seeds and woody centre.
I cook mine in a lightly sweetened syrup flavoured with ginger and cinnamon, and enjoy them as a dessert, served with yogurt. The syrup and dairy combine into a silky sauce that is absolutely delicious.
That said, quince is just as comfortable on the savoury side of the table. Simply reduce the sweetener and serve it alongside pork, where its gentle sweetness and floral notes pair beautifully with rich meat.
If you have never cooked quince before, I hope this recipe encourages you to give it a try. It may not look like much when you first bring it home, but with a little patience it transforms into something truly special.
Aromatic Poached Quince
Tender poached quince cooked with ginger and cinnamon, served with yogurt and a velvety sauce made from the reduced cooking liquid. Delicious warm or chilled.
Ingredients
- 2 quinces, washed and quartered
- Water, to mostly cover
- 3 slices fresh ginger
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- 2 Tbsp brown sweetener, or to taste
- Pinch of salt
- 1 Tbsp lemon juice
To Serve
- ½ cup plain full fat yogurt
- Chopped nuts , optional
Instructions
Wash the quinces thoroughly and scrub off the fuzzy coating.
Cut the quinces in half. Leave the peel on. You can remove the cores now, but I prefer to remove them after cooking when the fruit is soft.
Place the quinces, water, ginger, cinnamon, brown sweetener, salt, and lemon juice in a saucepan.
Bring to a gentle simmer. Reduce the heat and cook for about 30-45 minutes, or until a knife slides easily into the fruit.
Remove quince from the saucepan and set aside. Cook the sauce for another 10-15 minutes.
To serve, I mix the yogurt with a ½ cup of the warm sauce, then stir to emulsify. Nestle the fruit in the sauce and sprinkle with some nuts, and some more brown sweetener if desired.
Notes
- Brown Keto Sweetener: I use erythritol with a small amount of unsulphured blackstrap molasses for colour and flavour. See Sweetness Without Sugarfor details and alternatives.
- Useful Tip: Thread the ginger slices onto a toothpick. It makes it easier to retrieve later on.
- Storage: Keep in the syrup in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. You can also freeze it in portions in the syrup.
Nutritional Information (Per Serving — 2 servings)
Calories: ~115 kcal
Protein: ~2.5 g
Fat: ~2.5 g
Net Carbs: ~15 g
Nutritional information provided with recipes is generated using software tools and AI-assisted calculations, and should be regarded as an estimate only.
