Originally posted by Sarah January 14, 2015 
- 1 quince
- 2 cups water
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 8 ounces of fresh cranberries
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- Peel and core the quince, saving the peels in a tea bag or cheese cloth.
- Combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan until the sugar is dissolved.
- Add the quince (cut into small pieces), cinnamon stick and star anise pod into the pot and simmer until the quince is tender, about 45 minutes.
- Add the cranberries and cook an additional 8-10 minutes until the berries have popped and the relish is at your desired consistency.
I know cranberries came in the share around Thanksgiving, but part of this blog is about not letting anything go to waste. With that in mind, after Thanksgiving, I admit, I had half a container of those amazing cranberries left and no time to process them. So, into the freezer they went. Today, out came the cranberries for a cranberry quince relish.If some of you are not familiar with a quince it’s a fruit that cannot be eaten raw. It is similar to a pear and also to an apple. They are often used in jams and jellies because they are naturally high in pectin. My favorite use for them is this relish. I have also made this relish with a pineapple quince, delicious!
Let’s get started, your house is going to smell so inviting with this goodness bubbling on your stove top. All you need for this recipe is water, sugar, quince, and cranberries. I choose to also add a cinnamon stick and one star anise pod as well.
Start art by peeling and coring your quince, just like you would an apple, and cut it into bite sized pieces. Throw the core away but save the peels, they add a bunch more flavor to the relish. Put the peels into a reusable tea bag (like the one in the photo), or simply wrap them in a piece of cheese cloth. Mix together the sugar and water and simmer until all of the sugar is dissolved. Add the quince pieces, cinnamon stick and star anise and let that cook for about 45 minutes until the quince is tender.
This is a great time to relax, this aroma is better than any candle in your house, seriously. Smells like this make folding laundry or doing dishes a world more enjoyable.
When the quince is tender drop in the cranberries and listen to them pop for about 10-15 minutes. The liquid left in the relish will cook off as the cranberries pop away. When the relish is at the consistency you like it, you’re done!
You can pair this with a baked chicken but I love to smother a nice pork chop with this relish, delish!