a soft spot for quince

historically in the u.s., a well-considered orchard would always have one or two quince trees. quince are loaded with pectin, and were coveted for pies and preserves. but when commercially available pectin became available, the quince tree grew out of favor. in southern europe, however, they are still revered and grown in large numbers. the floral scent of the fruit n fall is one of my fondest memories from living in southern france. i am sad to say i have never seen our village gardens festooned with these sumptuous pink blossoms. as most of you know, my husband is a tax preparer, and we make most our income for the year in the first four months of the year. so, as long as we have kids in college and a mortgage to pay, we will be stateside in the spring, dreaming of almond trees, quince trees, and olive trees all in bloom.

quince blossoms