⚠️ Untested Recipe: This recipe hasn’t been tested yet. Measurements and instructions may need adjustment.

Traditional Swedish quince marmalade (rosenkvittenmarmelad) with a beautiful pink color and floral, honey-like flavor. Perfect on toast, served with cheese, or given as a gift.

Ingredients

Basic Recipe

  • 1 kg quince (rosenkvitten)
  • 6 dl sugar or jam sugar (syltsocker)
  • 5 dl water

With Apple (alternative)

  • 600 g quince (rosenkvitten)
  • 400 g apples
  • 6 dl sugar or jam sugar (syltsocker)
  • 5 dl water
  • (optional) 200 g finely diced apple for texture

Instructions

  1. Prepare jars: Warm clean glass jars and lids in a 100°C oven for at least 15 minutes.

  2. Prepare fruit: Rinse the quince thoroughly and halve each one. Scrape out the seeds. If using apples, peel and core them too.

  3. Cook: Heat 3 dl water in a medium pot and bring to a simmer. Add the fruit halves directly to the simmering water (this prevents browning). Simmer until all pieces are completely soft, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching. This takes 30-60 minutes depending on ripeness.

  4. Strain: Pass the fruit mixture through a sieve. For more yield, return the pulp to the pot with 2 dl additional water, stir, and strain again.

  5. Finish: Bring the purée back to a boil and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved, then boil for 5-10 minutes. Add optional diced apple now for texture.

  6. Jar: Pour into hot jars and seal immediately. For longer storage, you can optionally pasteurize: screw lids on loosely, place in the oven at 100°C for 15 minutes, then tighten lids.

Notes

Quince (rosenkvitten): These are harvested in autumn (September-October) in Sweden. They’re too hard and astringent to eat raw but become beautifully fragrant and pink when cooked.

Color: The marmalade develops a lovely pink-amber color during cooking. The longer you cook, the darker it becomes.

Sugar: Quince is naturally high in pectin, so regular sugar works well and sets firmly. You can also use jam sugar (syltsocker) with a reduced amount (5 dl instead of 6 dl).

Storage: Hot-filled jars keep for several months. Pasteurized jars keep for a year or more. Refrigerate after opening.

Serving suggestions: On toast, with aged cheese (especially manchego or cheddar), with yogurt, or as a glaze for roasted vegetables.

Quick purée method: For a simpler purée without straining, boil whole quince in water for 5-10 minutes until soft (don’t overcook or the seed cavity cracks). Drain, then press through a fine sieve, scraping flesh away from seeds. Use this purée as the base for marmalade or on its own.

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