Easy Thermomix Quince Paste

Last year when I got my Thermomix, I couldn't wait to try making quince paste in it. The thought of making quince paste without having to stand in front of the stove for three hours with a tea towel wrapped around my hand - avoiding boredom, swollen ankles and  horrible burns - was a revelation.

And the results were better than I expected. I made enough to last me almost a whole year in just one batch, so this year I'm going to make lots more, and give it to people as gifts when I visit them. It's so easy!

A few people have been asking me lately which recipe I use. I found this blog last year which is what I've based my recipe on, but I've tweaked and changed it here and there, which is sometimes difficult to share or explain to others.
http://thermomix-er.blogspot.com.au/2010/04/thermomix-quince-paste.html

I also find the instructions a bit difficult to follow, especially when you're switching your gaze from the TM to the screen and back again 15 times, trying to find the line you were just reading with each turn.

So, below is a photographic demonstration of how to make (hopefully fail proof but no guarantees) quince paste, in the Thermomix.

Enjoy.
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Ingredients:
Quinces, water, sugar.

1.5 Kg whole quinces - approx 4-6 depending on size.

Weigh these in the Varoma

(If your quinces have lots of bad spots or bruises, you can add a little bit more to make sure you have enough good fruit)

Quarter the quinces and then carefully peel and core.

Put the peels and cores into the bowl of the TM (discarding any bad bits) and place the peeled quarters in the Varoma tray. You should end up with three separate piles - fruit, peels and cores (the skins and seeds contain pectin which helps set the paste), and bad bits (including cores that have mould or other yucky bits in them). Throw out the bad bits.

Process the peels and cores on speed 5 for 10 seconds so they are in little bits

Add 700ml of water

Place the fruit in the Varoma on top of the TM and turn it on for
25 minutes at Varoma temperature, speed 1

Strain peels and cores through the rice basket, keeping the water for the next step.

Rinse the TM, zero the scales, then put the steamed fruit and strained water back in, taking note of its weight (I usually get about 1.1kg at this stage).

Now it's time to add the sugar. You need a ratio of 3 parts sugar to 4 parts fruit & water, in other words, the sugar should weigh about 3/4 what the fruit and pulp weighs. So, based on my 1.1kg above, I would use about 800g of sugar. I think I've even used less than that in the past - perhaps 700g?

Zero the scales and weigh the sugar, then mix it all up for10 seconds on speed 7. 

Scrape down the sides so that it's all incorporated, then set the TM for 50 minutes at Varoma temp on speed 5.
You will need to cover the hole in the lid with a clean cloth, and then place the rice basket on top of that, to prevent it bubbling out all over the place.

When the time is up, pour the paste into a shallow baking tray lined with baking paper - be careful, it will be as hot as molten lava at this point. Allow to cool. It should set perfectly, so all that's left to do is divide it up into cheese platter-size portions, wrap and refrigerate. I like to vacuum seal mine in small blocks, but wrapping in glad wrap is also fine - it might just leak a little over time so put the wrapped pieces in a container to keep your fridge clean. Consume within 12 months.