Quince Infused Gin

Name: Quince Infused Gin
Prep time: 15 min
Total time: 15 min
Ingredients: 700 ml gin; 120 g sugar (granulated); 375 g quince

May 11, 2020

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Oh my, if you’re a Quince and Gin fan, you must make this ridiculously easy (I’m almost embarrassed at how easy!) Quince Infused Gin – it will take you 15 minutes tops! Now, before you reach for the glasses and ice, it does need to ‘infuse’ for 2-4 weeks (a sneaky taste test along the way is perfectly acceptable). Be patient though, as you will be rewarded with a delicious and unique infused gin to be enjoyed over the Winter months.

A bottle of Quince Infused Gin with a glass of poured gin with ice, star anise, black peppercorns and tonic sitting beside it. — After 2-4 weeks, this is the result.

Side view of the glass of Quince Infused Gin with tonic water, ice, star anise and black peppercorns on a dark tablecloth. — Served here with Fevertree Lemon Tonic, ice, star anise and black peppercorns.

Over the 2-4 weeks, the gin will take on the heady flavours of the Quince fruit and the Gin will change from clear to a beautiful golden colour.

The resulting flavour of the Gin, like the Quince itself, is a heady mix of flavours; hints of citrus, apple, pear, honey and guava with almost tropical fruit notes, and the earthy taste of juniper berries and exotic spice. It’s absolutely delicious and while I enjoy it mixed with tonic, I also very much like to sip it, served neat or over ice (in front of an open fire is optional, but recommended ☺️). It is a wonderful Winter drink.

A dark platter with 4 Quince fruit that have been washed. — Washed Quince.

A grey bowl of 4 unwashed and furry Quince fruit. — Quince before it is washed and cleaned.

What is Quince?

Quince is an often overlooked fruit, mainly because people are unsure of how to use or prepare it. It really is a fruit worth exploring.

The Quince grows on a tree and looks a bit like a cross between a pear and apple but is more knobbly in appearance. It has yellow skin which can sometimes be covered in a furry coating which easily washes off. The thing that struck me most when I first bought this fruit was the beautiful fragrance it had. So hard to describe as it’s unlike anything I had smelt before – a heady, almost exotic perfume of apple, pear, honey and tropical fruits like guava and pineapple – heavenly. Put your fruit bowl by a sunny window and you will be rewarded every time you walk by.

The Quince fruit has been around for many years. It was used in Roman cooking and is said to have originated from the Middle East and Asia. The pome fruits look so enticing and pretty hanging on the tree. When ripe, they turn from a very furry green fruit to a yellow colour and are strongly perfumed.

When ready to eat, the creamy white flesh is still very hard, bitter and astringent. It is not pleasant to eat raw, but when cooked with sugar and water, it transforms into the most delicious, soft, sweet and fragrant fruit. The flesh also changes from a yellow white colour to a rosy pink/deep ruby red.

The most common ways to cook the raw flesh is to poach or roast it in water, sugar and aromatics for a few hours until the flesh is soft. It can then be used in so many sweet or savoury dishes. Another popular way Quince is used, is to make Quince Paste (Membrillo) which is often seen on cheese boards.

It really is a fruit worth seeking out if you haven’t already, as it really isn’t hard to prepare or cook with.

Anyway, back to this recipe. As we are only using the Quince to ‘infuse’ our Gin, this is one exception where we use the raw fruit.

A dark platter of washed yellow Quince Fruit with one cut open to reveal the inside. — The inside of the Quince fruit. The raw flesh is very hard, acidic and not pleasant to eat.

A bottle of Gin, packet of sugar, and bowl of washed Quince fruit on a benchtop.

About The Ingredients

Quince – As we are only using the Quince to infuse the Gin, we will be using the raw flesh. Some Quince still have a furry coating (see photos above) so the skin needs to be washed and cleaned thoroughly to remove it.
Gin – choose any plain gin that you enjoy drinking.
Sugar – just normal granulated white sugar for this.

Quarters of Quince on kitchen scales showing the measurement of 379g. — Cored and quartered Quince (skin on), measured to go into the jar.

A glass jar with sugar weighed into it on top of kitchen scales showing the measured amount as 120g. — Sugar measured straight into the cleaned and sterilised jar.

The Quince Infused Gin in stages:

A glass jar filled with Quince, Gin and sugar with a green lid on the jar. — Day One

A sealed jar of Quince Infused Gin on top of a marble table with white hydrangea flowers behind it. — Just a few days in. The fruit will colour up over time.

A glass jar of Quince Infused Gin showing the fruit has now changed colour to a dark golden brown after infusing for 4 weeks. — In 2-4 weeks time, this is what the Quince will look like.

The Quince being drained in a sieve over a large pyrex jug, showing the golden liquid of the Gin in the jug. — When ready, the Quince is strained and you are left with a beautifully infused Gin, ready to be poured and kept in a sterilised clean bottle.

Top view looking down into the glass of Quince Infused Gin and tonic with ice, star anise and black peppercorns as a garnish. — One of my favourite combinations. Sometimes I’ll add a cinnamon quill and orange rind as well.

To Serve/Suggestions

Once the Quince Infused Gin has been infusing for 4 weeks it is now ready to be enjoyed. It really is up to you whether you drink it at 2 weeks or 4 weeks. The flavour is better developed at 4 weeks and you can actually infuse it for up to 6 weeks.

As mentioned earlier, I do enjoy mine with tonic and garnishes but I also love to sip it neat, or over ice, as it has such a beautiful flavour.

Some suggestions for a G&T:

I just try and think of flavours that go with Quince when I add anything to this G&T. Some of these are: star anise, black peppercorns, cinnamon quill, orange rind, bay leaf, rosemary. I also enjoy the Fever Tree Lemon Tonic with it too.

Quince Infused Gin can be kept in a sealed bottle and stored in a cool, dark cupboard. A bottle of this gin also makes a lovely gift for family and friends.