Products : Fruits : Quince

The quince tree (epist. Cydonia oblonga, synonyms Cydonia vulgaris Pers. and Pyrus cydonia L.) is a fruit tree of the Rhododendron family. Its origin is from the Caucasus region or Iran and its fruit is the quince.

It lives up to 50 years. It is a tree known since ancient times, when it was dedicated to Aphrodite. For this reason it is also called the "Apple of Venus".

The quince tree is native to all countries bordering the Mediterranean, such as France, Spain and Greece. It is used to make jam, quince paste and compote (from its fruit), and its wood is resistant and does not rot.

Quince is the fruit of the species Cydonia oblonga (the only species of the genus Cydonia) and is native to southwest Asia and the Caucasus region.

The full maturity of the quince requires a Mediterranean climate with a long warm period, which is why it thrives more easily in countries such as Greece, Portugal and others with similar climates.

The nutritional value of the fruit lies mainly in the vitamin C it contains.

This fruit also contains a lot of tannin and fat cells. The main use of quinces is in confectionery. In particular, the fruit is used to make spoon sweets, jellies, quince paste and jams.

Raw quince is used as an herb against diarrhoea. Also, its seeds have expectorant and emollient properties.

Period during which First Fruit Stand markets quince: August - January.