Autumn Fruit in Victoria offers a stunning variety of fruit, characterised by its vibrant colours, enticing fragrances and rich flavours.
This week, my basket included quinces: golden, firm and wonderfully aromatic.
Last week’s haul was just as tempting — figs and persimmons, two of my favourite autumn fruits.
The figs were luscious and sweet, perfect eaten fresh or cooked in countless ways.
A few weeks earlier, prickly pears were still around too, marking the slow transition from summer to autumn.
A Week of Unexpected Gifts
One friend dropped off a bag of pomegranates, and the next day another neighbour left a surprise on my doorstep — a bag filled with feijoas (the small, egg-shaped green fruit) and strawberry guavas, those deep-magenta gems that smell of strawberries and roses.
All things considered, it was not a bad week for autumn fruit.
The Joy of Simple Fruit
Pomegranates are now well established in Australia. Their ruby-red seeds can be eaten fresh, scattered over savoury dishes, or used in desserts.
Persimmons are equally versatile — both the crisp vanilla variety and the soft, custardy ones — but like pomegranates, I often prefer them simply sliced and enjoyed raw.
The attraction of Quinces
Quinces, on the other hand, need to be cooked to reveal their true magic. Though I must admit, I always nibble a piece of raw quince while cutting them. Their transformation from pale yellow to a deep rosy colour is one of autumn’s quiet pleasures.
In Australia quince paste (cotognata) has become familiar and some make quince jelly, but I prefer making baked quinces.
Every batch is different because I rarely follow a strict recipe — I take inspiration and then do my own thing.
My Way of Baking Quinces
Some elements are essential:
- Sweetener – sugar, honey, or leftover bits of jam or jelly from the pantry.
- Acid – wine, orange juice, lemon, or lime.
- A splash of something alcoholic – perhaps a half-finished bottle of liqueur, spirit, or aperitivo.
- Fragrance – cinnamon, star anise, cloves, mace, bay leaves, black peppercorns, or fennel seeds.
For this latest batch, I used water, white wine, feijoa jelly (a gift from a friend), cinnamon, star anise, cloves, lemon slices, and bay leaves.
Scrub the quinces well, quarter them, and leave everything in — skin, seeds, and membranes. These help the syrup turn beautifully jelly-like. The liquid should reach halfway up the fruit.
Bake covered with foil at 170°C for about two hours, removing the foil for the last 15 minutes.
The result? Jewelled, tender fruit in a fragrant syrup that perfumes the kitchen for days.
The result? Rich coloured, tender fruit in a fragrant syrup that perfumes the kitchen for days.
More recipes for Quinces:
AUTUMN FRUIT Cumquats (Kumquats) and Quinces