October may be blackberry time, mulberry time, elderberry time, sloe time, crabapple time or any other time you wish. But, for the lucky few, it is above all quince time. The lucky few being those who have their own tree, or who have benevolent neighbours who grow this outstanding fruit.
We are concerned with the fruit of the tree cydonia oblonga, a yellow, pear-shaped fruit, covered with a light whiteish down, but not obstrusively so. A fuzz. Above all, it gives off, in a room, a fragrance that will delight. You can't bite into them, unless you are abnormat dentally. They are so rare in Ireland that it is suggested that a good-variety tree - vranja is the best, says our expert - be given as a wedding present.
If you can't bite into them, what do you do? You may roast them. Not great, in some people's estimation. You may put, however, a thick slice in with any roast, be it game or chicken or whatever, and you will notice what a lift it gives. A good, thick slice, mind you. Apple tart is given a new freshness if you incorporate a couple of normal-sized slices. Quince paste, rather than jam, is favoured by many continentals. Jane Grigson's Fruit Book (a large Penguin) will give you plenty of ideas.
For some people, the best use of all for quince lies in making a liqueur - delicate, slightly astringent, quite out of the ordinary after-dinner digestif. Haven't come across it commercially. Make it yourself, if you are fortunate enough to have decent fruit. You put your quinces through a food processor, having first cut them up to manageable squares or lumps - an inch or a bit more - and run the machine until the fruit pieces are reduced to about the size of peppercorns. Into a litre glass jar you put the pieces until it is about two-thirds full. Then you fill with vodka. And the fruit will absorb quite a lot of it.
Sugar quantity will vary with taste, but for a litre jar, two ounces of caster suits many palates. It takes eight to ten months to get this up to full quality. Cover well, of course, with tin-foil for film wrap, as with jam, but do not seal. You may want to taste it as it goes.