15 Times Worse Than An Apple

It’s been over a year since I’ve crafted a blog post, but I suppose now is as good a time as any to start again. A bunch of people recommended I start food blogging, and though I’ve always wanted to, for some reason I never did. In recent weeks I’ve come across a number of “exotic” meats and, unlike in the past, I have had/will have the opportunity to prepare these foods instead of simply purchasing and eating. I’m no chef, at least not any more than all of us are, and though I’m not the best cook, the deep wells of international knowledge have splashed a number of recipes and techniques into my ears (aka the internet is full of crap and I’m trying some of the stuff I’ve read). I will try/have tried to prepare the foods in that manner.

Even though that introduction prepared you for a post all about meat, I’m here to disappoint you with a post about some crappy fruit. The quince is a plant ovary I'd never had the joy of tasting. In fact, I'd never even seen it before I spotted it on the top shelf in the Walmart produce aisle. Though it looks and smells delicious, it was not at all what I was expecting.

Excuse the mess in my room, but here's the quince

I located a number of recipes/ways to prepare the fruit online. During my search I found that the fruit has to be cooked, and when it is it will turn pink and tender. Said recipes also said the fruit would be ready to cook when it produces a sweet fragrance (which could be smelled through the peel), and so I waited for such an occasion. When said occasion came, I realized the smell of this fruit was one of the best fragrances possessed by any fruit I’ve snuffed. Despite this, I should have known the fruit might not be the best when all of the recipes called for either poaching the flesh in sugar or honey, or simply adding sugar or honey somewhere in along the lines. One even called for throwing apples into the mix, but I figured honey would be good enough so that’s what I used. Perhaps the pleasant aromas are what tricked me into believing this fruit would be a sweet success. Whatever it was that tricked me, my tongue was very disappointed. Instead of yum, it tasted more like an apple that had been robbed of taste. 

The Quince after being cut open. Had to remove the core

The quince cooking in honey water.

I can’t say for sure why my quince was no good. Anytime I prepare something there’s always a chance that I’ll mess it up (fondest and saddest mess-up was the iguana I prepared…so much potential that I completely squandered through improper preparation). With this fruit though, I followed the directions I found and still came up short. If you’ve had quince but with a better result, please to let me know so I don't hate the number 15 forever!

Horrible tasting quince. Slightly pink and tender but disgusting. 

Also, not sure if there is anyone reading this that is well-versed in the art of fruit, but if you know why this fruit is Spanish for 15 I’d be thrilled to know the answer.

Stay tuned as I’ll be throwing up a post about the Python and Llama meat I tried recently. I Might also put in a blurb (or a whole separate post) about the camel and muskrat I’ve had (haha enough people hated the picture on Facebook so I feel as though I’d be doing an injustice to the rest of the world if I didn’t put it up here). Until then, stay safe out there, and as always, thanks for listening with your eyes.