Easy Membrillo Recipe: How to Serve Sweet Quince Paste

Membrillo is a thick, sliceable, gelatinous confection made with quince purée. Quince grows from the quince tree, which bears fruit that resembles a pear. However, fresh quince is usually too hard or sour to eat raw.

As opposed to quince jam or quince jelly—which is spreadable—quince paste is high in pectin, making it jellied and sliceable like cheese. Diners enjoy this tangy, sweet alongside Manchego cheese.

Membrillo goes by various names in different places, including “dulce de membrillo” in Spain, “marmelada” in Portugal, or quince paste in the UK, Australia, and Canada.

Quince is a gluten-free, no-cholesterol source of vitamin C, potassium, and calcium.

Membrillo is sweet, so using a ripe quince to make the confection is crucial. Look for fruit with the following qualities:

1. 1. Bruise-free: Large bruises or indentations on the fruit’s skin indicate that the quince is of poor quality. Damage to the outside means that the fruit may be mealy or past its prime.
2. 2. Fuzz-less: The white overcoat of fuzz on a quince falls off as the fruit ripens. Choose quinces from the grocery store that have no fuzz (if you’re using the fruit immediately) or just a little bit of fuzz (if you’re using it in a day or so).
3. 3. Sweet fragrance: Quince smells sweet when it’s ripe. Sniff the skin of your quince: If it smells sweet, the fruit is ripe and ready to use.
4. 4. Texture: Shopping for a ripe quince is similar to picking a ripe pear or apple. Ripe quince fruits are firm and barely give when squeezed. The flesh should be firm, and the skin should be glossy.
5. 5. Yellow or golden color: Quince has a yellow or golden color when ripe, similar to a pear. Unripe quince fruits are green with a white coat of fuzz. As they ripen, the white coat sheds, and the color changes to yellow.

Serve membrillo in various ways, from savory to sweet preparations:

• As a breakfast accompaniment: Many people eat membrillo as a replacement for butter or jam on toast alongside poached or fried eggs.
• As a pastry filling: Pastries often come filled with sweet fruit preserves. Fill various sweet pastries like croissants or doughnuts with mashed membrillo, or fold some into the dough to make a sweet empanada.
• Rolled in sugar: Eat membrillo as a stand-alone dessert by rolling it in white sugar, which adds sweetness and a crunchy texture. Roll the fruit in sugar right before serving so it stays crunchy and doesn’t get absorbed.
• With a cheeseboard: One of the most popular ways to enjoy sweet membrillo is with savory cheese. Slice up a baguette, a semi-firm cheese (preferably Manchego), and a square of membrillo to create a satisfying appetizer platter.

Some home cooks keep membrillo at room temperature for months: The sugar preserves the quince paste and gives it a longer shelf life. Still, the best long-term methods for storing membrillo are refrigerating or freezing the fruit.

For refrigerator storage, wrap the membrillo tightly in plastic wrap and store it for three to six months in your fridge. Alternatively, wrap the membrillo tightly in plastic wrap and then place it in a plastic freezer bag in the freezer, where it will last for up to a year.

Discard membrillo when it goes bad. If you see visible mold or scum on the surface of the block, or if it gives off a rancid smell, discard it immediately.