If you’re looking for a chutney with a difference, quince chutney is perfect!
Quinces might seem a bit plain and dry, but when cooked with spices and a few other select ingredients you’ll end up with a luscious thick chutney that tastes like a dream.
Why you’ll love this quince chutney recipe
- It’s easy to make, even for beginners
- The ingredients are easy to source and very inexpensive
- It will totally transform your cheese and biscuits snack
- It lasts forever!
CHUTNEY EQUIPMENT YOU NEED
Check out the ultimate list to chutney making equipment. You actually don't need that much and most of the items are quite affordable!
Making your own preserves is a great and satisfying hobby. Giving the gift the lovely food to your friends and family are especially rewarding!
How to make quince chutney
Step 1: Get all your ingredients together
Place all the fruit, vinegar, brown sugar and other ingredients into a large, heavy-bottomed cooking pot.
Step 2: Dissolve the sugar
Using a medium heat, stirring occasionally until all the sugar has dissolved then bring to the boil.
Step 3: Simmer away
Reduce heat to a simmer, then cook on a low heat, uncovered, for an hour or until the chutney has thickened.
Step 4: Get potting!
Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal.
Step 5: Label, store and mature
Label, once cooled. Enjoy!
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What to pair with your chutney
Cheeseboard
Cheese and chutney is a marriage made in heaven! Serve this quince chutney with your favourite cheeses and crackers – good luck resisting!
Nuts or nut butter
Any chutney pairs really well with a handful of nuts – try almonds, pecans, walnuts, cashews or macadamias.
You could also spread macadamia nut butter and chutney on your favourite crackers for an irresistible snack.
Curry
Spoon some of this subtle spiced chutney on the side of your favourite curry, alongside rice, for a sumptuous pairing.
Popular substitutions for this recipe
Make up your own divine combinations! Swap 50% of the quince in the recipe below with one of the following types of fruit.
- Apples
- Pears
- Raspberries
- Cranberries, fresh or frozen
Variations to this recipe
To take this recipe in a different direction, add any of the following ingredients:
- 1 lemon, juice and zest
- 1 vanilla pod
- 2 red chillies
- 2g (1 tsp) coriander seeds
- 4 cardamom pods, crushed
- 1 orange, juice and zest
- 5g (2 tsp) ground cinnamon
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 3 garlic cloves
Alcohol that pairs well with quince
Probably the simplest and most enjoyable way to enjoy chutney is part of a cheeseboard.
If you pair your quince chutney with a cheeseboard, you might want to take a dream double to a triple with a nice little tipple of cognac!
Alternatively, you can actually make your chutney boozy! Simply pour in 125ml (½ cup) of cognac at the end of cooking time and bottle up your chutney as soon as possible.
What exactly is quince?
Quince is a pear-shaped fruit that has a greeny yellow colour – kind of like golden delicious apples.
Even when ripe, quinces aren’t usually eaten raw, as they tend to be too firm and tart. That’s why they’re best used in cooking recipes like chutney and jam. Quinces are in season between September to November.
Where can I buy quince?
You’ll be able to buy quince in all good supermarkets all year round, or in grocery stores between September and November.
How long do quinces stay fresh?
Quinces stay fresh longer than most other fruits. You can keep them at room temperature for up to two weeks.
How do I store quince chutney?
Keep your chutney in a sterilised airtight jar, store it in a cool dry place and it’ll stay fresh for over a year.
How long does it keep, once opened?
Once you’ve opened your chutney, refrigerate it. It’ll stay fresh for around 2 months.
More marvellous chutney recipes
Once you’ve made one, you won’t be able to stop! So, try these fantastic chutneys:
- Papaya chutney – like quinces, papayas are an underused fruit with plenty of flavour. It’s an excellent ingredient when used to make a chutney, which makes this recipe well worth making
- Mrs Ball’s chutney – a South African favourite, Mrs Ball’s chutney is a wonderful mild chutney that is the perfect mixture of sweet and savoury. Made of several fruits, mainly plum, it’s great with turkey, vegetables and especially cheese
- Orange chutney – a zesty chutney with plenty of charm
- Marrow chutney – a moreish vegetable chutney with a pleasant kick
- Plum Chutney – this spiced plum chutney goes down great at Christmas time
📖 Recipe
Quince Chutney Recipe
- Total Time: 1 hour 45 minutes
- Yield: 2L / 8 cups, 30g (2 tbsp) per serving 1x
- Diet: Vegetarian
Description
This easy and delicious homemade Quince Chutney is best served as part of a cheeseboard or with meat.
Ingredients
- 1kg (2.2lbs) quince, peel, cored, and chopped
- 2 onions, peeled and chopped
- 250g (1 cup) dates, chopped
- 750ml (3 cups) apple cider vinegar
- 200g (1 cup) brown sugar
- 5cm (2in) fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
- 2 star anise
- 4g (2 tsp) mixed spice
- 4g (1 tsp) red pepper flakes
- 6g (1 tsp) salt
Instructions
- Place all the ingredients in a large, heavy-bottomed pan.
- Stir over a medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved then bring to the boil.
- Lower the heat to a simmer, then cook, uncovered, for an hour or until the chutney has thickened.
- Pour into hot sterilised jars and seal.
- Label, once cooled. Enjoy!
Notes
- You can substitute the dates with 250g (1½ cup) sultanas. Or, in this case, I double up on quantities but split the dates with sultanas.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
- Category: Chutney
- Method: Boil
- Cuisine: British
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 30g (2 tbsp)
- Calories: 35
- Sugar: 5.7 g
- Sodium: 37.5 mg
- Fat: 0.1 g
- Saturated Fat: 0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 8.7 g
- Fiber: 0.6 g
- Protein: 0.2 g
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sandra Miller
This recipe was spot on!! I did a bit of tweeking to make hotter but it turned out just amazing. Its nice to have another recipe for the quince from our tree besides quince paste and jam. Thank you!
Sheryl
I'm excited to try this out! Can you please clarify what "4 (2 tsp) mixed spice" means? Which spices should be used? Thank you!
Addison
This chutney was so great as part of my charcuterie board! It paired really well with cheese.
Jenn
Wow, how good is this! I wanted something different to add to a charcuterie board and this chutney was divine! I loved the subtle spices in it -yum!
Lisa
I was curious to try chutney after finding it in a local market. This chutney did not disappoint. It was perfect for our charcuterie board.
Sharina
Can't get enough of this quince chutney! It is so easy and simple to make! And it was perfectly cooked and seasoned. So impressive!
Gina
I love quince! It's so hard to find but I always make a chutney or something just like this when I can grab some. The ginger in this recipe is a lovely addition!
Sweetie
An excellent resource for a foodie like me. I love exploring new cultures, making new recipes, trying out new cuisine.
Now more than ever while stuck at home, I am appreciating this helpful list so much more. Thanks.
Michelle Minnaar
Thanks, Sweetie. Enjoy cooking!