Quince is an interesting fruit because it should be cooked before eating it. Consuming raw quince is not recommended and it is highly astringent.

Quince, when cooked, has a similar taste to apples and pears and this is because it is related to apples and pears. Cooked quince has a somewhat similar texture to ripe pears.

Quince may have an inner pink or cream coloured flesh when heated. The colours of quince and other aspects such as taste and appearance may vary accouraging to the location they are grown in.  The outer skin is covered with fine hairs (which can be consumed) and is often a pale-yellow hue. It is strongly advisable to not eat the inner seeds. Yet the seeds, with proper care, have been used medicinally for some ailments

Some homeopathic remedies are made with a potency of quince. Some medicinal uses for quince include heartburn, coughs, diarrhoea and other digestive ailments. Due to the compounds in quince, there is benefit for the digestive tract by consuming cooked quince. The medicinal uses of quince extend to the leaves and flowers of the plant. For your beauty, cooked quince fruit and the mashed seeds have been used externally on the skin.

This fruit does not stand out for high vitamin or mineral levels, yet it is low in calories and high in antioxidants. Some recipes suggest adding sugar, and you can substitute that with xylitol or another natural sweetener. If you happen to have a sweet tooth, adding some sugar to the water you simmer it in is helpful. Otherwise, cooked quince is pleasant enough.

For years quince has been formulated into jams and marmalades. The word marmalade has origins with the word quince, as this fruit was such a well-used cooked and preserved fruit. Quince appears in ancient Greek mythologies and this sturdy fruit dates back to at least 4000 years ago.

Quince has survived thousands of years to continue delighting and supporting humanity. Freshly poached quince, is an especially suitable warm fruit for cold winter mornings.

By Anastacia Sampson