Shared by Viviane Bowell
Shared by Viviane Bowell
Safargel (Quince Jam)
Yield: 2 1/2 cups
Safargel (Quince Jam)
Yield: 2 1/2 cupsFamily Journey
Aleppo, SyriaCairo, EgyptLondon
Bristol, England and Toledo, SpainConstantinople (present-day Istanbul)Cairo, Egypt
LondonBristol, England
Viviane Bowell’s mother used to stock her refrigerator in Cairo with homemade jams like this one, which she served to guests along with candied oranges and sweets like menenas and baklava. Grating the quince cuts down on the cooking time, but you don’t want to stray far as it cooks since the sugars can burn easily. This recipe comes from her cookbook “A Culinary legacy: Recipes from a Sephardi Egyptian kitchen.”
Read more about her in “The Jam Fridge of Cairo” and try her recipe for molokhia, a garlic-y stew made with greens.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 lbs quinces (about 3 large or 6 small quinces)
- 2 1/2 cups sugar
- 2 cups water
- juice and zest of 1 lemon
Preparation
Step 1
Wash and dry each quince. Working around the core, grate the quince flesh, including the peel, with a cheese grater.
Step 2
Pour 2 cups of water in a thick bottomed pan and bring to a boil. Add the grated quince, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook until the mixture becomes soft, about 10 minutes.
Step 3
Add the sugar, stir and bring up to a boil over high heat. Continue stirring until the sugar has completely dissolved, then lower the heat to medium. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the jam turns pink and reaches the desired consistency, 60-75 minutes. If the jam dries out, add a 1/4 cup of water at a time.
Step 4
Pour the jam into a sterilized jar and cool completely before serving.
