Quince Liqueur
A floral pink homemade liqueur made by infusing grated raw quince in vodka with sugar, rose petals, and a cinnamon stick. Beautiful for fall and holiday cocktails.
Servings: 24 servings, or about 3 cups
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 large ripe quince about 2 to 3 cups grated, skin on
- 1/2 to 1 cup granulated sugar start with less; you can add more after straining
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh unsprayed rose petals or 2 tablespoons dried edible rose petals
- 1 whole cinnamon stick optional
- 750 ml vodka or other neutral spirit, 80 proof or higher
Instructions
- Wash the quince and wipe off the soft fuzz on the outside with a dry cloth. Don't peel; the skin contributes color and flavor.
- Cut around the apple-like core of each quince and discard. Grate the remaining flesh and skin on the large holes of a box grater or in a food processor with the grating attachment. Work quickly; the flesh browns within minutes.
- Pack the grated quince into a clean quart mason jar. Top with sugar, rose petals, and a cinnamon stick if using.
- Pour 750 ml vodka over the contents, filling the jar to within an inch of the top. Cap tightly and shake gently to mix.
- Store at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for 2 to 3 months. Shake gently every few days for the first couple of weeks, then leave undisturbed.
- Strain through a fine mesh strainer, pressing gently on the solids to extract every drop of liqueur. For a clearer finish, run a second pass through cheesecloth or a coffee filter.
- Taste, and add more sugar if you'd like a sweeter finish (it dissolves easily into the room-temperature liqueur with a few minutes of stirring).
- Bottle in clean glass bottles. Store at room temperature, out of direct sunlight. Use within 1 year for peak flavor.
Notes
Don't peel the quince. Several readers ask about this. The skin contributes color and flavor; the grating breaks it down enough that you won't notice texture in the finished liqueur. Just remove the soft fuzz with a dry cloth and grate everything (skin and flesh) directly into the jar.
Sugar is to taste. 1 cup is a balanced midpoint. 1/2 cup gives a drier, more cocktail-friendly liqueur (excellent with ginger beer). Up to 2 cups makes a syrupy dessert-style cordial. Start with less and add more after straining if needed.
Save the strained quince. The boozy macerated fruit is sweet and fragrant. Stir into coffee cake batter, fold into ganache, simmer briefly with a splash of water for a quick compote, or freeze for later baking.
Spirit substitutions: Brandy makes a richer, eau-de-vie-style liqueur. Gin works beautifully and mixes well with tonic. Whiskey will dominate the floral quince and isn't recommended.
Long infusions are fine. The vodka keeps everything shelf stable; jars can sit for months past the 3-month mark without spoiling, and the flavors continue to develop. Bottled liqueur keeps about a year before the floral notes start to fade.
Storage: Shelf stable at room temperature, out of direct sunlight, for at least a year. Refrigeration not needed.
Don't substitute cooked quince. Cooked quince releases pectin that will cloud the liqueur and may even cause it to gel. Use raw grated quince only.
Nutrition
Calories: 89kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 0.002g | Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 0.4mg | Potassium: 1mg | Fiber: 0.02g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 0.1IU | Vitamin C: 0.002mg | Calcium: 0.5mg | Iron: 0.01mg