Spanish · Desserts

Membrillo

A firm, ruby-coloured Spanish paste of quince and sugar, cooked slowly, set in a tin and served with cheese.

2 hr 20 min prep and cooking plus 8 hr Setting 10 hr 20 min start to finish Serves 16 servings Medium
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Membrillo

Photograph credit: Dulce de Membrillo by Javier Lastras · CC BY 2.0 · Flickr

Making Membrillo

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  1. Put the quinces and water in a pan, bring to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes until very soft.

  2. Purée until smooth, then return to the pan with the sugar and lemon juice.

  3. Cook over low heat for 90 minutes, stirring often, until the paste is very thick and deep red.

  4. Pour into a lined 20 cm square tin and smooth the top. Leave to set for 8 hours, then turn out and slice.

Small Things That Help

  • Wear oven gloves; the hot paste spits.
  • Stir from the bottom as the paste thickens.
  • Wrap the set paste in baking paper and keep it cool.

What Goes With Membrillo

  • Manchego
  • Hard cheese
  • Almonds
  • Crackers

Storing & Reheating Membrillo

Keeps wrapped in the fridge for 3 months.

Membrillo FAQ: Common Questions

How long does Membrillo take to make?

20 minutes of preparation and 2 hours of cooking, plus 8 hours of Setting, so allow 10 hours 20 minutes from start to finish. The recipe serves 16.

Nutrition per Serving

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list with USDA FoodData Central figures (SR Legacy). A calculation, not a laboratory analysis: brands, cuts and how you measure change the real numbers. How the figures are worked out.

240Calories
0gProtein
60gCarbs
0gFat
1gFibre
57gSugar
5mgSodium

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Compiled by Turab

Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.

First published ; last changed .