Quinces visually resemble pears or apples but are bright yellow like lemons. What makes them different and how do you eat quince?
What are quinces?
Quince is one of the almost forgotten fruits, which receives far too little attention. Visually, it resembles a mixture of pear and apple in size. However, with the difference that it is neither green nor red but attracts attention in a bright yellow – like a lemon. Their taste is also in line with these fruits, after all they are also related to them. it them, too. Quince tastes fruity, aromatic and reminiscent of a mixture of pear, lemon and apple.
What is the best way to prepare quince?
Quinces should never be eaten raw. They have a very bitter taste, which in nature is supposed to repel predators. Basically, a very bitter taste in food is often an indication that a food is poisonous. If you eat a raw quince, the seeds of the quince are to blame for this bitter taste. They contain prussic acid, which is released when the seeds are no longer intact. So, the seeds of raw quince can actually be dangerous to humans. When hydrocyanic acid is absorbed by the body, it inhibits an enzyme responsible for cellular respiration. As little as one to two milligrams of prussic acid per kilogram of body weight can lead to death by suffocation. While that sounds like quite a lot, infants and dogs are so more susceptible to poisoning than adults. So, eat your quinces cooked instead.
