This glowing quince is the latest small masterpiece by Julian Merrow-Smith - autumn encapsulated in warm greys and defiant yellow with scattered leaves. If you haven't discovered his Postcard from Provence showcase of his daily paintings, you must, and tout de suite.
It reminded me that I was going to report back on our quinces left in a bowl in the hall, and whether the dying fruit really did release a sweet aroma. The idea was that we would be welcomed by the natural perfume of coconut and pear, guava, musk and violet, perhaps even a hint of rose. Here's the post: The fragrance of quince.
Well...sad to say the experiment was not an overwhelming success. We travelled more in hope than expectation, and though the quinces have wrinkled prettily, there's not a great deal of scent. When I hold the fruit right up to my nose there's a delicately pleasant smell of pear - perhaps with a hint of ginger - but that's about it. Perhaps some quinces are more powerful than others and these are just not the right type. Still, worth trying. And the bushy tree did look beautiful in the spring.
I'd love to hear from anyone who has managed to achieve a room full of fragrance this way.
6 comments:
What a beautiful picture!
And what a coincidence - I just bought some quinces here on the market in Valensole this morning to make aioli de coing. It will be the first time I cook with quinces ;)
Have a nice weekend,
Monika
I have a small Japanese ornamental quince tree in the back yard, really only a bush at this point. It has lovely deep peach-red blossoms in the spring and small fruit in summer. I will try next year to keep some of the fruit to see if it has a fragrance when and if it softens. I don't think this ornamental quince can be eaten though.
Je ne peux pas t'aider sur les précisions quant aux coings, mais je te remercie pour les liens et les découvertes ;))
The ones I've bought at market have only a very slight aroma. They don't turn a nice rosy color that I've heard they are supposed to when I cook them. They do taste yummy cooked up with apples and a couple of slivers of candied orange peel, tho.
New British niche brand Union will debut in July with four fragrances: Holy Thistle; Quince, Mint & Moss; Celtic Fire and Gothic Bluebird.
Quince, Mint & Moss ~ “The quince was first planted in Britain by Edward I at the Tower of London in 1275 and has been teasing our palates with its tangy, perfumed sweetness ever since. Our quinces hail from Somerset, and sit at the heart of this fragrance, exuding a vibrant, fresh nose that lifts the spirits. Garden Mint at the top, is an undervalued and equally exuberant, luxuriantly green, scent that explodes from the bottle, accompanied by icy–cool juniper berry’s from the forests of Caledonia and spicy lime leaves. The emerging quince notes are encased in a herb crust with wild thyme from Snowdonia and sage from Gloucestershire. At the base, mountain ash extract from Sterling and soft Irish moss provide a verdant cushion. Mouth-watering.”
That fragrance sounds intriguing, Marcheline. I shall have to find it, and thanks for the introduction!
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