MOST people prefer to eat quinces cooked, as they can be gritty and harsh when raw.

They are delicious stewed and baked – in fact, almost everything you can do with apples you can do with quinces. They need a similar amount of cooking time and, as with apples, add sugar only after the fruit begins to soften and change colour (quince flesh turns pink).

Individual fruits can baked in halves, with the juice turning to pink syrup in the dish. Other recommendations are to add a few slices to roasting meats and a little cooked quince to casseroles.