rosy pink poached quince (without any rose in them)

I found quinces at Wray Avenue last week. They needed a good week to ripen up. I was also avoiding cooking them as so many recipes I found said you need to cook them in excess of 12 hours. 12 hours watching one dish? Not going to happen.

These poached quinces were really special served with double cream.

They could also replace apples/pears in any recipe once poached like this. Think quince crumble, quince tart, quince pie.

To stop the quinces browning, put them straight into water and sugar liquid as soon as cut.

5 quinces, peeled and chopped into bite-sized pieces

1 1/2 cups of sugar

4 1/2 cups of water

1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped

Put all ingredients into a pan and bring to the boil. Put the lid on, lower the heat and simmer gently for 2-3 hours or until very tender.