Ayva reçeli (eye-vah reh-cheh-lee), or quince jam, is a delightful aromatic preserve with a deep peach-pink colour and rose-like flavour. It is often enjoyed as part of a Turkish breakfast spread, with toasted bread, kaymak, cheese and fruit. With its slightly tart sweet flavour, it's also great as part of a cheese board or mixed with strained yoghurt as a light afternoon snack.
Golden-skinned quince is too tart to be eaten raw and slowly cooking it with sugar transforms it into a luscious treat. Traditionally, Cypriots slice quince into large pieces that are candied in syrup, to simply eat by itself as a sweet treat for guests alongside a refreshing glass of water. However, preparing it as ayva reçeli offers more versatility in use.
The key to this ayva reçeli recipe is getting exactly 750g of thickly grated quince. If the weight of quince is less or more, you will need to adjust the amount of sugar and water accordingly, along with the cooking time. Typically, 1kg of quince usually yields 750g after peeling, coring and grating.
Quince jam thickens and sets as it cools so the best way of testing it is done is by using a cold plate from the freezer. You will need to pour a few drops of hot jam onto the cold plate, leave it for a few seconds and then hold the plate up vertically to check if it has thickened (it should have the consistency of honey).
Pouring hot jam into clean jars and sealing them immediately helps sterilise the inside and create an airtight seal, preserving the jam's quality for longer.
Makes approx 4 medium (300ml) jars of jam | Preparation time: 15 minutes | Cooking time: 2 hours
Ingredients
4 (1kg) quinces, peeled, cored and thickly grated (it will be approx 750g when grated) | 750g white sugar |
750ml water | 50ml lemon juice |
Hob heat settings
Method
Put a small plate in the freezer - this will be used later to test the jam.
Add the water to the grated quince in a large saucepan and place on a medium-high heat while loosely covered for 15-20 minutes or until it starts to bubble constantly and the quince begins to soften. Stir occasionally.
Lower to a medium heat and stir in the sugar until fully dissolved. Cook while loosely covered for 30 minutes, while stirring occasionally so that the bottom doesn’t burn.
Stir in the lemon juice and cook for 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes more, or until the quince has turned a deep peach-pink colour and the water has reduced.
To test if the jam is ready, add a drop or two to the cold plate from the freezer and leave for a few seconds. It should become fairly thick when you lift the plate up vertically (a bit like the consistency of honey). If it is quite runny, simmer for 5-10 minutes more or until firmer when re-tested on a cold plate.
Divide the quince jam into sterile jars, seal and allow to cool completely before storing in the fridge. Serve by adding a generous helping to freshly toasted bread.