How To Make Quince Wine

This recipe is taken from an English household manuscript dating to around 1700, a period when home winemaking was widespread among the gentry and well-off households. Fruits like quince were commonly used for fermenting into wine or cordial, as quince trees were often found in kitchen gardens. Sugar, a luxury but increasingly available by the late 17th century, provided both flavor and the fuel for fermentation. Recipes like this one, attributed to Mrs. Foul(l)er, reflect both practical knowledge and the gentlewoman’s pride in household management. The use of 'pipin juice' (from 'pippins', a type of apple) reflects an era where blending fruits was common and regional apple varieties were prized. Such handwritten recipes in collections helped preserve culinary techniques before printed cookbooks became widespread.

Historical kitchen tools included a sharp knife or paring tool for peeling, hand graters (usually made of metal or tin), large linen or muslin bags for pressing pulp, and wooden presses or weights for extracting juice. The fermentation took place in small wooden casks or runlets, carefully stopped with cloth and wax or wooden bungs. Bottling would involve thick glass bottles (often reused) and hand-sealed corks, with sugar lumps measured for each bottle.