Quince Jelly

The morning of three queens
I like quinces. Their dignified appearance make them the queens of the world of fruits.  You can't eat a quince from the tree - it is too hard and too tart to be consumed raw. So if you want to taste them you have to make an effort to prepare them with the respect they require. 

I like the shape of quinces - every one is so different. They seem to be created for the table of a painter or a photographer; it will be such a waste of beauty if you don't capture the moments of their glory. Their delicious smell fills the house with autumn scent. And their transformation into a jelly is so tasty - it goes great with cold meats or as a spread onto a toast with a piece of feta cheese.  

The evening of three queens

Quince Jelly

Ingredients:

• 3 big quinces 
• 500 g (1 pound) white granulated sugar
• 6 cups of water
• 1 Tbsp Cognac brandy
• 1 tsp citric acid
• 20 golden raisins (optional)
• 1-2 lemon scented geranium leaves (optional) 

Preparation:

Cut the washed quinces into pieces (don't remove the skins and cores). Put them in a pot and add the water (the water should be enough to cover the pieces by about 2-3 cm). Boil on medium heat for about an hour (until the fruits pieces get soft and the liquid gets pink).

Strain the juice through a sieve and add the sugar. The actual amount of sugar you should add depends on the amount of juice you have - for every cup of juice you need a little less than a cup of sugar. Bring to boil again on medium heat  stirring occasionally. Skim off the foam which comes to the surface while boiling. 

Simmer until getting the wanted consistency. Throw in the geranium leaves or the golden raisins about 10 min before turning off the heat. Add the Cognac to preserve the color of the jelly. 

Add the citric acid and boil for additional 5 minutes. Pour the hot red colored syrup into a clean jar.