A traditional sweet with the aroma of the past
In the era when there were no industrial sweets, quittenkäse was prepared at room temperature and in the cold storerooms of Vojvodina’s townspeople's houses — a highly valued, ancient “quince cheese” (from the German word Quittenkäse). This fragrant, jelly-like treat of bright red or amber color is created by long and patient cooking of quince puree with sugar, using natural pectin from the skin of this autumn fruit to set the mixture perfectly without any additives.
Preparing quittenkäse is a real little ritual that fills the house with the warm, fruity smell of autumn. With crunchy pieces of walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, quittenkäse is ideal with a cup of tea or coffee or espresso, but also as a refined addition to cheese boards.
Due to its longevity, it used to be stored for months wrapped in baking paper in wooden or tin boxes, remaining juicy on the inside and with a fine, dry layer on the outside. Prepare it according to this detailed recipe and revive the taste of tradition in your home. For a good quittenkäse, you don't need a Vojvodina passport, just a pot, a wooden spoon and a little patience.
Tags: vegan recipes, vegetarian recipes, for kids* (see note), lunch box, bring to work, no eggs,
lactose free, gluten free.
Allergens: may contain nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds), if you add them.
Ingredients:
- 1 kg quince (cleaned and cut)
- Sugar (the same amount compared to the measured quince puree)
- Juice of half a lemon
- 100 g of chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds (optional)
- A little oil for coating the mold
Preparation:
Preparation of quince
1. Clean the quince without peeling the skin.
2. Cut into 2x2 cm cubes (do not peel the skin because it contains natural pectin that helps the mixture to set).
If you cut them into smaller pieces, they will cook a little faster, and if the pieces are larger, they will take a few minutes longer. It is only important that they are approximately the same size so that they are all cooked evenly at the same time.
Cooking quince
3. Pour water over the quinces just enough to soak them.
4. Let it boil, then reduce the temperature to medium-low (3 out of 6) and cook until they are completely soft, about 15 to 20 minutes.
You will know they are ready when you can easily pierce them with a fork, like boiled potatoes.
Quince puree
5. Drain them of excess water.
6. Puree with a mixer until you get a completely smooth puree.
Measuring and adding sugar
7. Measure obtained puree.
8. As many grams of puree as you have, prepare as many grams of sugar.
Slow cooking
9. Return the puree to the pot, add sugar and lemon juice.
10. Cook at a low temperature (2 out of 6) or very low (1 out of 6) depending on the strength of your stove, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. The mixture will gradually change color to a beautiful dark amber or reddish.
It is ready when the mixture becomes very thick, and the wooden spoon leaves a clean mark on the bottom of the pot (it usually takes about 40-50 minutes).
The goal is for the mixture to flow gently and not to create strong bubbles that could cause it to splatter or burn quickly, because sugar and thick quince puree easily stick to the bottom of the pot on high heat.
Adding nuts
11. Towards the end of cooking, (3 to 5 minutes), stir in chopped walnuts, hazelnuts or almonds, if you use them. Add when the mixture is already completely thick and when the whisk leaves a clean mark at the bottom of the pot.
12. Then remove the pot from the stove, put the nuts and mix well with a wooden spoon so that they are evenly distributed throughout the mixture.
If you add them earlier, during long cooking the nuts may soften and lose their crunchiness.
Preparation of the mold for pouring quittenkäse
13. Lightly coat the molds (silicone or classic) with a drop of oil.
Pouring quittenkäse into molds
14. Immediately pour quittenkäse into the prepared molds while the mixture is still hot. Smooth out the mixture.
Drying of quittenkäse
15. Leave the quittenkäse to cool completely and harden at room temperature (preferably overnight).
16. The next day, take it out of the mold and leave it to dry in the air, on baking paper, for another 2-4 days with occasional turning, until it has a fine, dry crust on the outside.
Tips:
- Cut the dry quittenkäse into slices or cubes.
- You can roll it in granulated sugar or ground walnuts.
- Store in a box lined with baking paper in a cool and dry place.
How to store quittenkäse?
0. It is best to use baking paper or wax paper to store the quittenkäse.
1. Line the bottom of the box (wooden, cardboard or tin) with baking paper.
2. Arrange the cut and well-dried quittenkäse in one row, so that they do not touch each other too much.
3. If you put several rows in the same box, be sure to put a new sheet of baking paper between each row. The paper prevents the pieces from sticking together and absorbing excess moisture.
4. Finally, cover the top row with baking paper. Close the box.
Plus tip:
Avoid ordinary napkins or paper towels because they can stick to the quittenkäse if it releases a little moisture.
Is it good to bring to work and school?
Yes. It is extremely convenient to take with you because it is solid, does not crumble or leak. It is best to pack it in a small box between two pieces of baking paper.
Is it for kids?
Yes, but with caution. In itself, it is a great and natural treat for children, but pay attention to allergens and a large amount of sugar.
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Sastojci:
- 1 kg dunja (ociscenih i isecenih)
- Secer (jednaka kolicina u odnosu na izmereni pire od dunja)
- Sok od pola limuna
- 100 g seckanih oraha, lesnika ili badema (opciono)
- Malo ulja za premazivanje kalupa
Priprema:
Priprema dunja
1. Dunje ocistiti bez ljustenje kore.
2. Isecite na kockice na 2x2 cm (kozicu nemojte ljustiti jer sadrzi prirodni pektin koji pomaze da se smesa stegne).
Ako ih iseces na manje komade skuvace se malo brze, a ako su komadi veci, trebace im nekoliko minuta duze. Vazno je samo da budu priblizno jednake velicine kako bi se sve u isto vreme ravnomerno skuvale.
Kuvanje dunja
3. Prelijte dunje vodom tek toliko da ogreznu.
4. Pustite da prokljuca pa smanjite temperaturu na srednje nisku (3 od 6) i kuvajte dok potpuno ne omeksaju, oko 15 do 20 minuta.
Znaces da su gotove kada ih lako mozes probosti viljuskom, kao kuvani krompir.
Pasiranje dunja
5. Ocedite ih od viska vode.
6. Ispasirajte stapnim mikserom dok ne dobijete potpuno gladak pire.
Merenje i dodavanje secera:
7. Izmerite dobijeni pire.
8. Koliko grama pirea imate, toliko grama secera pripremite.
Sporo kuvanje
9. Vratite pire u serpu, dodajte secer i limunov sok.
10. Kuvajte na niskoj temperaturi (2 od 6) ili veoma niskoj (1 od 6) zavisno od jacine vaseg sporeta, uz neprestano mesanje drvenom varjacom. Smesa ce postepeno menjati boju u prelepu tamnocilibarsku ili crvenkastu.
Gotovo je kada smesa postane veoma gusta, a varjaca ostavlja cist trag na dnu serpe (obicno traje oko 40–50 minuta).
Cilj je da smesa lagano struji i da ne stvara jake mehurace od kojih moze da prska ili brzo zagori, jer se secer i gusti pire od dunja na jacoj vatri lako zalepe za dno serpe.
Dodavanje orasastih plodova
11. Pred kraj kuvanja (3 do 5 minuta), umesajte seckane orahe, lesnike ili bademe, ako ih koristite. Dodajte u trenutku kada je smesa vec potpuno gusta i kada varjaca ostavlja cist trag na dnu serpe.
12. Tada sklonite serpu sa ringle, stavite orašaste plodove i dobro promesajte drvenom varjacom da se ravnomerno rasporede kroz celu smesu.
Ako ih dodate ranije, tokom dugog kuvanja orasasri plodovi mogu omeksati i izgubiti svoju hrskavost.
Priprema kalupa za izlivanje kitnkeza
13. Kalupe (silikonske ili klasicne) blago premazite kapljicom ulja.
Izlivanje kitnkeza u kalupe
14. Odmah ulijte u pripremljene kalupe dok je smesa jos vruca. Poravnajte smesu.
Susenje kitnkeza
15. Ostavite kitnkez da se potpuno ohladi i stegne na sobnoj temperaturi (najbolje preko noci).
16. Sutradan ga izvadite iz kalupa i ostavite da se susi na vazduhu, na papiru za pecenje, jos 2–4 dana uz povremeno okretanje, dok spolja ne dobije finu, suvu koricu.
Saveti:
- Suvi kitnkez secite na kriske ili kockice.
- Mozete ga uvaljati u kristal secer ili melevene orahe.
- Cuvati u kutiji oblozenoj papirom za pecenje na hladnom i suvom mestu.
Kako čuvati kitnkez?
0. Za cuvanje kitnkeza najbolje je koristiti papir za pecenje ili voštani papir.
1. Dno kutije (drvene, kartonske ili limene) oblozi papiron za pecenje.
2. Slozi isecene i dobro osusene kockice kitnkeza u jedan red, tako da se ne dodiruju previse.
3. Ako stavljas vise redova u istu kutiju, izmedju svakog reda obavezno stavi novi list papira za pecenje. Papir sprecava da se komadi slepe i upijaju suvisnu vlagu.
4. Na kraju pokrij i gornji red papirom za pecenje. Zatvori kutiju.
Savet plus:
Izbegavajte obicne salvete ili papirne ubruse jer se mogu zalepiti za kitnkez ako on oslobodi malo vlage.
Da li je za poneti na posao i u školu?
Da. Izuzetno je zgodan za poneti jer je čvrst, ne mrvi se i ne curi. Najbolje je spakovati ga u manju kutiju između dva komada papira za pečenje.
Da li je za decu?
Da, ali uz oprez. Sam po sebi je odlična i prirodna poslastica za decu, ali obratite pažnju na alergene i veliku količinu šećera.
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