Homemade membrillo for your fall cheese plate

Membrillo, like the leaves of the season, changes color as you cook it

First of all—I wanted to apologize for not sharing a post with you on Monday. It’s been a very busy time for my team at World Central Kitchen, as we’re working really hard to make sure the people affected by the devastating Hurricane Helene are fed…especially communities in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina. I am always grateful for our Longer Tables community, but I am especially grateful during times like this, because you are all so supportive of the work to keep communities fed during moments like this. I couldn’t be more thankful for all of your support (we’ve already donated more than $12,000 to WCK as a community this year!) 

Today my team and I—this recipe was led by the amazing Patricia Blanco, who helps out with so many of our recipes—wanted to share with you a recipe from Spain, which you may have tasted before if you love cheese. Membrillo is known as quince paste in the US (or marmelada in our neighbors to the east, Portugal). Maybe you’ve tried it at Jaleo but didn’t know exactly what it was…it’s that beautiful orange-red paste on the side of many cheese and charcuterie arrangements, and it’s sweet, a little tangy, and goes perfectly with so many cheeses—of course Manchego, but also many goat cheeses, or blues like Cabrales. Once you have it in your house, you’ll see how versatile it is (try it in a grilled cheese!).

Quince fruit turns from a pale gold to a beautiful orange-red when made into membrillo

Even if you know and love membrillo, you might not realize you can make it at home yourself! It’s not actually that hard—the most difficult part might be finding fresh quince…which is not that difficult in the fall. The fruit is in season from now until November, and while it’s not grown everywhere, it does grow in the Mid-Atlantic, California, and New England, or you might be able to find it at a Whole Foods or Sprouts market. It looks like something that’s a cross between an apple and a pear, and its insides are a pale golden color…and much like the leaves of this season, as it cooks, it changes into a beautiful, bright orange-red. 

Chef Patri says that her mom would make a big batch every fall, and she would actually cut it in big blocks and freeze most of them to have them year round. With the amount of sugar in the recipe (it’s a preserve, after all), it keeps for a long time if properly stored—once you’ve finished your first block, take the next one out to defrost in the fridge.   

Membrillo is an amazing addition to a Spanish cheese board

Oh—and you don’t have to just keep membrillo on the cheese board, either! You can use it as a spread for toast (or on anything else where you’d use jam or jelly), or add it to a marinade. But it’s easy and satisfying to make to keep in your fridge (or freezer) for the upcoming holidays! 

Have you tried membrillo before? Have you made it yourself? Let me know in the comments!

Homemade membrillo
Makes approximately 18 ounces

3 quince fruits, peeled and cored
1 1/2 cups sugar
Zest of 1/4 lemon

Slice the peeled and cored quinces and add them to a microwave-safe bowl. Add 1/2 cup water and cover with plastic wrap, then microwave on high for 18 minutes. They will become tender. Remove the plastic carefully—hot steam will escape quickly. (Alternatively if you don’t want to use a microwave, cut the fruit in half and remove the seeds, then place them on a sheet tray covered with aluminum foil with a layer of water to steam them and bake at 350º for an hour and a half or until tender, carefully replacing the water if it all evaporates). 

Blend the cooked quince until smooth—this should produce about 1 1/2 cups of quince puree (should be an equal ratio to the sugar). 

In a heavy-bottomed pot, mix the sugar with the quince puree and add the lemon zest. Simmer for 1 hour on low heat, stirring occasionally. Make sure to keep an eye on it, if you see bubbles forming, turn the heat down…it shouldn’t burn. 

The mixture should thicken after about 1 hour and change from a pale gold color to a beautiful red-orange—like the sunset. Once it has thickened, transfer into a plastic container and cover with plastic wrap (push all the way down to the membrillo mixture. Let it completely cool down before putting it in the fridge. 

You can keep it in the fridge, or if you make a double or triple recipe, you can cut it into pieces, wrap it in plastic, and keep it in the freezer.