Greek quince preserve, or glyko kydoni, is a traditional, aromatic dessert made by slowly simmering fresh quince fruit with sugar, water, and a touch of lemon juice.
The process transforms the firm, golden-yellow quince flesh into soft, ruby-red pieces, releasing its delicate floral aroma and enhancing its natural sweetness.
Often spiced with whole cloves or a cinnamon stick, this preserve has a rich, jewel-toned hue and a velvety texture.
It’s typically served on a small plate with a spoon, alongside a glass of cold water, and pairs wonderfully with Greek yogurt or as a topping for cakes and pastries.
Quince, in Greek called Kydoni pr. kee-DHO-nee, is known from ancient years and its cultivation is said to have preceded that of the apple culture.
Many references to «apples», in the ancient years may have been to a quince.
Quinces have a coarse texture, are too hard, astringent and sour to eat raw.
They also oxidize, like apples do, so you have to keep them in water with lemon juice.
When cooked they soften and change colour from creamy white to pink-dark orange and near to ruby-red whilst they release all their sweet aroma and delicate flavour.
According to Harold McGee in On Food and Cooking, quinces contain compounds called anthoxanthins and anthrocyanins that behave in a way that is the opposite of chlorophyll: they are water-soluble and change color, as when red cabbage can turn blue when cooked or blueberries turn green in a pancake.
You can omit the chestnuts if you like but as they are both autumn fruit, they can well be combined.
Quince is one of my favourite spoon sweets and I made it three times this year. Below, you will find three different ways to make it.
The first and second time I made it the same way as I had previously posted the recipe and my children loved it.
My son who was coming from Switzerland for the Christmas holidays told me that he wanted some to take with him so the third time I was making it, it coincided when I had bought a lot of chestnuts so I decided to combine them together.
How to make the Quince Preserve with chestnuts
To make the quince preserve, the quince is peeled and cut into slices and are cooked until they become soft.
We reserve some of the water the quince was boiled and we cut the quince into thinner slices. We then add the sugar and the reserved water.
Meantime, we also boil and peel the chestnuts.
When the sugar melts, we add the fragrant geranium leaves, the spices and the chestnuts and cook them together until the syrup sets. See detailed instructions here.
I like flavouring the preserve with fragrant geranium leaves but if you do not have any, you can add some whole cloves or a cinnamon stick or even vanilla.
Greek Quince Preserve with Chestnuts
Glyko Kydoni (quince preserve) is great over Greek yogourt, puddings or ice cream and also make terrific homemade gifts.
Ingredients
- 2 kilos peeled and cored quince
- 2 kilos sugar
- 20 chestnuts (optional)
- 5 cups water
- Juice from 1 juicy lemon
- Lemon peel of 1 lemon
- 3 fragrant geranium leaves or 1 tsp vanilla essence
- 1 small cinnamon stick
- ¼ cup lemon juice
Instructions
- Score chestnuts with a sharp knife and boil for 20 minutes. Strain them, add cold water and peel them.
- Prepare a big bowl with water and lemon juice. Cut the quinces, peel and remove core and put them immediately, in the water.
- Before starting the preserve drain and weigh the fruit and use equal amount of sugar.
- In a pot add the 5 cups of water and start cutting the quince into thinner slices of 1 cm (0.40”) thick and put them directly in the pot.
- Bring them to boil and then simmer with lid on for 20 - 30 minutes until they are soft. When they have boiled, drain keeping 1 cup of the boiled water.
- Put them back in the pot in layers together with the sugar and boiled water and leave them to rest for a few hours until the sugar melts. A lot of water will come out from the fruit. Put them back on the heat, add the chestnuts, the geranium leaves or vanilla, the cinnamon stick and lemon peel and when they begin boiling, reduce heat to medium and simmer until the syrup has thickened.
- When it is ready mix in the lemon juice.
- Remove from heat and when it is completely cold then store it in clean sterilized jars.
Notes
The calories are for all 3 kilos of quince preserve.
Nutrition Information
Yield 3 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 3166Total Fat 2gSaturated Fat 0gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 2gCholesterol 0mgSodium 105mgCarbohydrates 816gFiber 18gSugar 683gProtein 5g
"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."
Glyko Kydoni me Amygdala (Quince Spoon Sweet)
Glyko Kydoni (quince preserve) is one of my favourite autumn fruit preserve Depending on the variety, once cooked it transforms into a nice pinkish to red colour and all its beautiful aroma is released.
Ingredients
- 1.750 grams of boiled quince (2 ½ kilos)
- 1.750 grams sugar
- Juice from 1 lemon
- Water to cover them
- Peel of 1 lemon
- 4 fragrant geranium leaves
- ¼ cup lemon juice
- 1 cup blanched and toasted almonds
Instructions
- Prepare a big bowl with water with lemon juice.
- Peel the quinces and remove core, quarter them and put them in the water.
- In a sauce pan add the water with lemon juice and cook the quartered quince, until soft, for about 15 minutes.
- Drain and keep the water. Weigh them and put the quince back in the pot with the same amount of the sugar. Add the fragrant geraniums and add 5 cups of reserved water.
- When the sugar dissolves, bring them to a boil and then simmer for fifteen minutes. Set aside to cool and drain them again. Put the syrup back on the heat and cook for 15 more minutes. Add the quince as well as the lemon juice and cook for 1 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool before adding the almonds. .
- Place in clean sterilized jars
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 255Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 0mgSodium 215mgCarbohydrates 20gFiber 5gSugar 11gProtein 8g
"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."
Glyko Kydoni Trifto (Grated Quince Preserve)
This quince preserve (kydoni trifto) is made by grating the quince.
Ingredients
- 1.500 grams (4) quince
- 1 kilo sugar
- 3 cups (750 ml) water
- Peel of 1 lemon
- 4 fragrant geranium leaves
- Juice of 2 lemons
- 100 grams blanched and roasted almonds
Instructions
- Put the sugar, water, lemon peel and fragrant geraniums in a pot and simmer for 15 minutes.
- Blanch and roast the almonds.
- Prepare a bowl of water with the juice of one of the lemons.
- Peel, quarter and core the quince. Put them in the bowl of water.
- When all are done, grate them on the big side of a box grater and put it back in the bowl with the lemon water.
- Drain the grated quince and put it in the syrup. Cook it on medium heat for half an hour, mixing every now and then.
- Finally add the juice of the second lemon and cook for five more minutes.
- Set aside to cool and then add the roasted almonds.
- Store in sterilized jars.
- No refrigeration is necessary.
Nutrition Information
Yield 3 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 1556Total Fat 18gSaturated Fat 1gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 15gCholesterol 0mgSodium 219mgCarbohydrates 359gFiber 6gSugar 346gProtein 8g
"These values are automatically calculated and offered for guidance only. Their accuracy is not guaranteed."
This and many more recipes are included in my cookbook Mint, Cinnamon & Blossom Water, Flavours of Cyprus, Kopiaste!
Other relevant recipes:
Kerassi (Cherry Spoon Sweet)
Karpouzi (Water Melon)
Nerantzi (Bitter oranges)
Bergamonto (Bergamot)
Glyko Vyssino (Sour cherries)
Karydaki (green immature walnuts)
Kydoni me amygdala (Quince with almonds)
Milo (Apples)
also
About Spoon sweets
How can we tell if the syrup is ready?
How to fix spoon sweets
Kopiaste and Kali Orexi!
Jackie
Saturday 26th of February 2011
This is my favourit Glyko when in Cyprus. I never knew for years what it was because my neighbours did not know the english for it.. gorgeous. I am going to have to make some now.. My recent post Pissouri Restaurants
Saar
Wednesday 3rd of March 2010
Cool Picsxx
Moad
Sunday 21st of February 2010
Hey, I was just blog hopping and I came across your blog. This is a great post, thanks for sharing! Jenna's Blog
Sunshinemom
Saturday 10th of January 2009
Awwwww....!! This is torture, Ivy! My mouth is watering, and I want to take in those flavors and some of those fruits - all I can do is drool. Blogs have introduced me to many fruits we do not find in our Country, and quince is one such, chestnut is another! Though I haven't had it I am already missing the taste:) Thank you for sending this delectable concoction of quince and chestnuts to FIC.
vij
Saturday 10th of January 2009
Lovely! n wonderful looking pics.