Quince Poached with Honey and Lemon

I'm visiting my son and daughter-in-law in Germany and we had a fun day yesterday in Weisbaden shopping for specialty foods at the Karstad grocery store. One of the things I could not pass up was some fresh Quince.  Quince has a beautiful fragrant smell and while it is very hard when raw, it becomes soft and tender when cooked. It also goes from a pale yellow to a beautiful rosy color.  It is a magical fruit!

Today, I poached it in a mixture of honey and lemon instead of my usual sugar and cinnamon and I have to say that it was absolutely wonderful! Quince has other wonderful medicinal properties in Chinese Medicine. It relaxes the tendons and relieves all kinds of cramping - in the legs or elsewhere in the body and it relieves dampness. So here is another really healthy food and a delicious one too. I had it plain, but they had it with lightly sweetened whipped cream on top. It's also good on yogurt or oatmeal in the morning.  This is a simple way to add this wonderful and delicious fruit to your meals!

Quince Poached with Honey and Lemon

3 Quince, peeled, cored and cut into 1" chunks

2 cups Water

1/3 cup Sugar

3 Tablespoons Honey

Juice of 1/2 large Lemon

Mix Water, Sugar, Honey and Lemon Juice together in a medium sized pot. Heat and cook until the Sugar is dissolved. Add in the Quince and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook until the Quince pieces can be pierced easily with a fork.  This can take from 1 - 2 hours.  Cool and serve as a dessert or as an addition to oatmeal or another warm breakfast cereal or yogurt. It can also be canned.  

Five Element Analysis

Quince is considered a Sour Fruit and is Greenish/Yellow when ripe so it is a Wood food and the lemon adds even more Wood. Sugar and Honey contribute the Earth Element so this then is a Wood and Earth food that will bring these elements to a meal missing them to create a Five Element balance.