Quinces from South Africa
Quinces are large, golden, very fragrant fruit with a firm, astringent flesh that is rarely eaten raw. Once cooked, the flesh turns soft and rosy, and it is used for jams, jellies, quince paste, poached desserts and slow-cooked savoury dishes, notably in Middle Eastern and North African cooking. South African quinces are grown in the Western Cape.
The export season is short, from February to May, with the main volumes in March and April. Quinces are picked when they turn yellow, handled carefully because they bruise easily, graded by size, packed in cartons and shipped under refrigeration.
- Export season
- February – May
- Grown in
- Western Cape