Pa Hill Quince Jelly product reviews

Aunt Daisy's recipe, 1954! We had a book of Aunt Daisy's recipes that lived in my grandmother's sideboard. There were all sorts of staples that we ate, whether or not we liked them, but I remember the jellies and how good they were. They were fiddly to make but so worth it.

Quince was one of the jellies that we had regularly, but I had not tasted it for years until I encountered this product. I did try to make quince jelly myself a couple of years ago when we had access to some fresh fruit. However, I had problems getting the jelly to set, and when I finally managed it, the result was beyond revolting so my efforts ended up in the compost.

It was in anticipation, therefore, that I took my first cautious taste of this product. It was good! I liked it! And it tasted just like the jelly of my youth. After all these years, Aunt Daisy ruled again. And there was no deciding what to try it with: I would have it with cold chicken, exactly as I did when I was a child. My partner tasted it, but did not like the tart aftertaste; on the other hand, that is exactly what appeals to me about it. I also admired the presentation in the jar. Quince jelly is a dark wine colour, and unlike jam it is totally clear, so it looked quite beautiful.

I served it in a toasted sandwich with chicken; for me, a gourmet delight. My partner had some but even when it was served in a sandwich was not enthusiastic. I think it may be an acquired taste; a pity, but there will always be some people who do not like a product. I went one step further and stirred some into the ice-cream we were having for dessert. That is another way I used to eat it as a child. We also used to spoon it into milk puddings, especially tapioca or sago, where it would obligingly melt into the hot cereal, subtly colouring it in the process.

I am looking forward to trying it with game. When we went to the South Island, our family there often used to serve up muttonbird or wild pig, both of which were outstanding with quince jelly. It also went well with venison; in fact, it was great with any meat of this kind. I remember eating it with smoked shellfish, especially mussels or oysters. The family had a quince tree on their property so they used to make their own jelly and there were always plenty of jars in the pantry waiting for the hunters to get back home! I am not sure whether they still make their own, so I will be taking my jar with me when I next visit this summer.