Quince!

Have you ever had quince jelly or quince preserves?

Perhaps you grew up on a steady diet of old-fashioned children's literature, as I did, and you read about quince jelly and wondered what it was. This is our quince bush, which flowers every May at about the same time as the lilacs. It bears very sour fruit in the fall, but it makes splendid jams and jellies. We are very partial to quince chutney!

I read a lovely essay on the connection of the quince with ancient Greece and Greek mythology. Quince is apparently associated with Aphrodite, the goddess of love, as well as wedding celebrations and fertility. The essay is on the very helpful “The Spruce Eats” recipe website, entitled, “The History of the Quince: the Greek Forbidden Fruit.”