Membrillo

Made with windfall quinces - it will be even tastier when we make it with ripe quinces in a few weeks' time, but I didn't want to let these go to waste.

Recipe: Cut the quinces into large chunks, including the cores and pips but discarding any bruised or insect-infested bits. Cover with water in a large pan and boil until soft - it takes about an hour. Drain the fruit and put through a sieve or mouli legumes. Weigh the resulting pulp and add the same weight of sugar. Bring to the boil and simmer as it slowly thickens and darkens - this can take a couple of hours. Line a large baking tray with grease-proof paper and spread the membrillo out in a layer about 2 cm thick. Allow it to cool and dry. Cut it into pieces (whatever size you find most convenient - mine are about 12 cm x 8 cm), wrap them well in grease-proof paper and store in a cool place, a larder or fridge. It will keep all through the winter, in fact, we still have a couple of pieces of last year's and they're fine. You can eat it on its own or serve it with cheese.