Recipe Manuscript

To Preserve Quynces

Name: To Preserve Quynces
Prep time: PTPT20M
Cook time: PTPT2H
Yield: 10
Cuisine: European
Ingredients: 1 kg quinces (peeled, cored, and sliced); 1 kg granulated sugar; 1 liter water; 250 ml rose water (use high-quality culinary rose water); 1-2 sticks cinnamon; 4-6 whole cloves; 1 egg white (optional, for skimming/clarifying)

1570

From the treasured pages of Miscellany by a family in Ledbury, Herefordshire

Unknown Author

Renaissance (1400 - 1700)European Intermediate Dessert Snack Other

Original Recipe • 1570

Original Manuscript(circa Renaissance, 1400 - 1700)

As inscribed by the original author's hand, transcribed with care by Lost Kitchen Scrolls

To Preserve Quynces

"Take to every pounde of Quynces a pounde of Suger, and to every pounde of Quynces Suger a quarte of ronnynge water, to every quarte of ronnynge water halfe a pinte of olde Rose water; Let your water & your Suger boyle togeather; when the skymme riseth, skymme it with the whyte of egges; when your Quynces are pared and cored, putt them into your syrope and let them boyle upon a very softe fyre tyll your Quynces be redde, and your Syrope so thicke that a drope wyll stande upon your nayle: putt them many tymes in and take them out agayne so that wyll make them the soner redde. To your Syrope put whole Sinamonde, and a fewe Cloves."

Note on the Original Text

The recipe is written in early modern English, with spellings like 'boyle', 'syrope', and 'Quynces' revealing the lack of standardized orthography at the time. Instructions are descriptive but presuppose familiarity with techniques such as clarifying syrup with egg white and boiling fruit until it 'be redde.' Rather than exact temperatures or timings, sensory cues such as color change and syrup consistency (a drop 'stande upon your nayle') guide the cook. Such open-ended recipes reflected the hands-on, experience-driven approach in early kitchens.

Modern Kitchen Interpretation

Recipe's Origin

Miscellany by a family in Ledbury, Herefordshire - Click to view recipe in book

Title

Miscellany by a family in Ledbury, Herefordshire (1570)

You can also click the book image above to peruse the original tome

Writer

Unknown

Era

1570

Publisher

Unknown

Background

Step into the kitchens of the late Renaissance with this delightful historical culinary book, brimming with secrets, flavors, and recipes from the sixteenth century. Perfect for curious cooks eager to time travel via their taste buds.

Kindly made available by

Folger Shakespeare Library

Historical Background of the Recipe

Learn about old traditions

This recipe for preserved quinces hails from England between 1550 and 1590, a period that saw the rise of sugar as a prized (and expensive) ingredient and the art of confitures taking root in wealthy households. Quince, with its fragrant perfume and ability to turn a deep crimson when cooked, was a fruit favored for preserves, especially on tables where culinary opulence was in vogue. The inclusion of rose water, cinnamon, and cloves reveals the influence of medieval and early modern flavors, where perfumed and spiced sweets represented both sophistication and status. Such preserved fruit would be served at banquets, feasts, or even as a medicinal delicacy, believed to aid digestion.

Culinary Tools when the Recipe was Crafted

Tools and techniques from kitchens of old

In the 16th century, cooks would have used heavy brass or copper pans over open hearth fires, tending the preserves with wooden spoons. Water was fetched, and rose water often prepared at home or sourced from apothecaries. Spoons or sieves (made from horsehair or linen) were used for skimming the syrup with beaten egg white. Jars would be stoppered and sometimes sealed with wax or parchment. The process required patience—low, even heat was maintained by moving pots to the cooler edge of the fire, and many cooks perched close to tend their precious preserves.

Modern Kitchen Adaptation

Ingredients and techniques for today's cooks

ounces, cups, Fahrenheit

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

2 hrs

Servings

Ingredients

2.2 lb quinces (peeled, cored, and sliced)
2.2 lb granulated sugar
4 1/4 cups water
1 cup rose water (use high-quality culinary rose water)
1-2 sticks cinnamon
4-6 whole cloves
1 egg white (optional, for skimming/clarifying)

Instructions

To recreate this beautiful quince preserve, start with peeled and cored quinces, weighing them carefully.
For every 2.2 pounds of prepared quince, use 2.2 pounds of granulated sugar.
For each 2.2 pounds of quince, add 4 1/4 cups of fresh water and 1 cup rose water.
Gently boil the water and sugar together, removing any foam that appears with help from a beaten egg white (this clarifies the syrup, though you may skip or replace this step with modern skimming methods if desired).
Slice your quinces and add them to the simmering syrup along with a stick of cinnamon and a few whole cloves.
Over a very low heat, cook slowly until the quince turns a ruby red and the syrup thickens so a drop sits atop your fingernail (or until it reaches a soft set).
Remove and return the quinces from the syrup a few times during cooking to help them color evenly.
Transfer to sterilized jars and seal.

Estimated Calories

300 per serving

Cooking Estimates

It takes about 20 minutes to peel, core, and slice the quinces, and around 2 hours to gently simmer the preserve until the fruit turns ruby red and the syrup thickens. Each serving is full of flavors from the quince and rose water, with sweetness coming mainly from sugar.