Quince Fruit Facts and Health Benefits 101

About Quinces

The quince fruit is related to the pear and apple and is a member of pome fruit group. It is among the earliest found fruits. The quince fruit tree has grown in the Mediterranean and Asia for more than 4,000 years. These days, quince can also be seen in the Middle East, Latin America, and the US. The quince, as you may know it in the US, is different from that in Western Asia as well as tropical countries, in which the fruit is much softer and juicier. In cooler environments, the fruit features a fine, good-looking shape, a vibrant golden color once ripe, with a robust fragrance.

When raw, the skin is woolly and rough, plus the flesh is rock hard and unpalatable, having an acidulous, astringent taste. In warmer countries, the woolly skin vanishes and the fruit is edible raw. As it is seldom used in raw form in the US, the dry and hard quince fruit flesh becomes pink to purple, getting sweeter and softer as it is cooked. Due to the astringent, tart taste, quinces are usually made into quince jam, jellies and preserves. When made into jelly, it tastes just like a mixture of apple and pear. Occasionally, the quince has the aroma of a tropical fruit.

Whole and Sliced Quince Fruit

Health Benefits of Eating Quince Fruit

Being abundant with fiber, quince is wonderful for individuals who want to lose weight and keep fit.
Quince antioxidants help your body combat free radicals and therefore lower the risk of cancer.
Studies have uncovered that quinces may be loaded with all sorts of anti-viral properties.
Eating of quince is identified to be good for people affected by gastric ulcer.
Quince fruit juice is recognized to contain tonic, antiseptic, astringent, analeptic and also diuretic properties.
Frequent intake of quince not just helps with digestive function, but also helps reduce cholesterol levels.
The content of potassium in the fruit assists your body keep hypertension under control.
The vitamin C contained in quince helps lower the potential risk of heart problems in men and women.
If taken regularly, quince proves advantageous to people suffering from tuberculosis, hepatic deficiency, dysentery and diarrhea.
People affected by liver ailments and eye conditions would definitely benefit from frequent quince intake.
Being full of antioxidants, quince is useful in relieving stress as well as getting calm.
Quince is very low in cholesterol, saturated fat and sodium, but containing plenty of vitamin C, fiber and copper.
The fruit juice is useful for people affected by cardiovascular, respiratory and gastrointestinal tract diseases as well as asthma and anemia.
The juice and pulp of baked or boiled quince fruit may serve as an excellent anti-emetic treatment.

Benefits and Nutritional Value of Quince

Nutrition Value of 100 g Quince
Vitamin A	40 µg
Vitamin B3	0.2 mg
Vitamin B6	0.04 g
Vitamin B9	8 µg
Vitamin C	15.0 mg
Carbohydrates	15.3 g
Protein	0.4 g
Fats	0.10 g
Dietary fiber	1.9 g
Sugars	12.53 g
Calcium	8 mg
Iron	0.7 mg
Magnesium	8 mg
Phosphorus	17 mg
Potassium	197 mg
Sodium	4 mg
Energy	60 kcal (240 kJ)
Water	83.8 g

How to Choose and Buy Quinces

Choose fruit that are big, firm, and yellow in color with modest or no green at all. Quinces must be harvested when totally yellow and firm.
They have to be handled with care because they bruise very easily.

How to Store Quinces

Store quinces inside a plastic bag and keep in the fridge for approximately 2 months.

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