Quince fruit is a kind of pome fruit that comes under the Rosaceae family. It has a wonderful flavor, and is quite delicious to tingle your taste buds. It is a native of Asia Minor, which is not eaten raw. The fruit is cooked and when a small quantity of the same is added to any recipe, would give quite an attractive aroma to the dish. It is also a healthy fruit that has its own unique benefits.
Quince trees are around 10 -15 feet high. The flowers of this tree are pink in color and mostly appear around the spring or summers. The flowers then take the form of pear shaped yellow colored fruits. The size of the fruit is more than an average sized apple. All at once it looks like a guava fruit or an avocado. The skin is really smooth like peach. The seeds are found in the middle just like the apple.
- Quince fruit is low in calorie. It contains poly phenolic antioxidants and is a good storehouse of vitamins, minerals and dietary fiber.
- The granules in the pulp of the fruit consist of tannins such as epicatechin and catechin. These combine to the toxins as well as chemicals that cause cancer inside the Colin. It also protects mucosa from bowel disease, diverticulitis as well as cancers. It helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels and body weight too.
- Quince fruit has phenolic compounds like procyanidin B2, Caffeoylquinic, oligomeric procyanidin, etc., and also some of the essential oils such as B-ionone, linalool, toluene, etc. These give the fruit a wonderful fragrance that is quite unique.
- A good concentration of Vitamin C is found in ripe quince fruit. While consuming fruits that have a lot of vitamins, it is possible to remove the harmful oxygen free radicals from the body. Immunity is boosted as a result of vitamin c consumption and apart from that, it reduces viral attacks and prevents inflammatory conditions that cause a lot of health issues.
- Quince has anti inflammatory and anti allergenic properties. The extract from its seeds and the flesh of the fruit is good for treating cystitis and atopic dermatitis. This fruit can be consumed without any thought by those who have food allergies.
Selecting the fruit and how to store it
The season of the fruit begins with the start of the month of September. It reaches to the markets all round the globe from places like Georgia, Turkey, Armenia, Middle East and Turkey.
While buying fruit from the market, make sure to pick those with firm flesh, golden yellow skin. Try not to take the green or raw fruits as they tend to be inedible and are bitter to taste. Pick the ones without bruises as they will not taste good. Store bought fruits will stay for a week if they are kept open in cool dry places. If you want to store it for some weeks, make sure to preserve it in the refrigerator.
Serving the fruit
Since quince fruit has a sour as well and astringent taste, it is not eaten raw. The fruit will taste bitter if taken in raw form due to the presence of tannins in it. While cooking the fruit, the tannins are destroyed, and only the aroma of the essential oils of the fruit remains. It can be added to savory recipes, jellies, jams as well as preserves.
Even though the fruit is filled with lots of goodness and health benefits that are innumerable, the seeds should be avoided as they are very poisonous. Throat irritation is caused when the fruit is taken in raw form and it can also create difficulty in breathing.
