A spoon sweet with a delightful aroma and particular taste.
Name - Recipe
Γλυκό του κουταλιού κυδώνι.
Version A
1 ½ kg of quinces
1 kg of sugar
Lemons
Rose geranium
Version B
1200g quinces (ready or ripe)
1 ½ kg of sugar
Juice of two lemons
1 sprig of rose geranium
Juice of ½ lemon for the last step
Version A
Wash the quinces well, peel them and cut them into 2 pieces or very small pieces and place them in water with lemon. In a pot, bring water to a boil and place the quinces to cook and soften. When they are soft, transfer them to a basin with ice water with lemon and leave them for half an hour. Drain them and put them in a large pot. Pour over them the sugar, a cup of water and a spoonful of lemon and leave them overnight. On the following day, boil them over high heat for the syrup to thicken, watching over them so their colour does not to darken. Just before the syrup is ready add the rose geranium and another spoonful of lemon. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool down. Place in bottles for 2-3 days in the sun. (Marina Koiliari, Kyperounda)
Version B
Peel and wash the quinces and cut them into three pieces. In a pot, place the quinces with the lemon juice and enough water to cover them. Place over the heat to cook. Watch so as they do not melt. Drain the water and add the sugar. Do not add any more water, because the quinces absorb a lot of water. Leave them aside for 2 to 3 hours until the water has drained off. Place them back on the stove and cook until the syrup thickens. Remove and set aside. On the following day, place them back on the stove and lcook until the syrup thickens again. Just before the syrup is ready add the rose geranium and lemon juice. Remove from the heat and allow the sweet to cool completely. Then transfer to sterile glass jars. ((Kythraiotou 2013, 61)
Boiling.
Boiling in syrup.
How do we know when the syrup is ready: Place some syrup in a spoon and let it drip away in the pot. When the syrup flows away easily, it means it is still watery and not ready. Keep on boiling for a few minutes and test again until the flow separates into drops. When a final drop remains hanging from the spoon, it means that the density is right and the syrup is ready. If not, that means that the syrup is not ready and needs a bit more boiling. Repeat the testing procedure again until the syrup has the right consistency.
If the syrup is properly thickened, then the spoon sweet can be preserved for a very long period of time in a cool, dry place without having to be kept in a refrigerator. (MANRE, 2009)
Additional information and bibliography
Ministry of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environment, Department of Agriculture (2009). Traditional spoon sweets and jams, Press and Information Office, Nicosia.
Kythraiotou, F. (2013). Gastronomic guide of Marathasa, Ministry of Education and Culture - Pedagogical Institute, Nicosia.
Oral testimony: Marina Koiliari, Kyperounda (see. Kourri, P. and Lazarou, S. (eds.) (2007). Traditional recipes of the village of Kyperounda, unpublished data).
Stalo Lazarou, Petroulla Hadjittofi