On account of the short summers in the United States, the quince never ripens sufficiently to be eaten raw. Even when thoroughly cooked we rarely eat it alone; and I find no place for them in diet for the sick, except as a flavoring to apples, or in jelly.

Quince and guava jellies are the most wholesome of the sweet jellies; in fact they contain only a trace of free acids, and can be taken by persons who have to reject all acid fruits.

Quince Jelly

Wash the quinces and wipe them, cut them into halves and remove every particle of the seed core and seeds; slice the quinces without paring, put them into a porcelain-lined or granite kettle, add, to each two pounds, one quart of water. Cover the saucepan, bring to boiling point, stew twenty minutes, or until the quinces are tender, and drain over night. Next morning measure the juice, and to each pint allow three quarters of a pound of sugar. Put the juice in a preserving kettle, bring it to a boil, skim, boil rapidly five minutes, add the sugar, stir until the sugar is dissolved and begin to try. As soon as it drops, jelly like, from a spoon, turn it into the jelly glasses.