Captain’s dinner publishes recipes in the new cookbook! Quinces are a (almost) forgotten fruit. Hardly anyone knows or uses this fruit today. Markus Wittur is committed to the preservation of ancient varieties of quince. The Franconian “Quince Savior” has published a unique and very personal recipe collection on this golden yellow fruit with a special, so beguiling scent. I’m glad that my recipes and photos are represented in this book.

The botanical name of the quince is Cydonia Oblonga. And if there is someone with a true passion to this fruit, then it is Marius Wittur. He discovered this love as a student and later, together with his wife, always further expanded it. First, they searched for old varieties of quince and leased the old quince groves from hobby, they later formed the “Franconian Reclamation Project of old Quince Varieties MUSTEA”. The ever larger amounts of harvest made them to process the quince wine.

Wittur’s variety preservation project of the quince is unique in Germany. People from all over Germany and even from abroad tell him about old quince trees, special varieties or forgotten quince groves. Maintaining old quince varieties only works because there are people who have a deep connection to this fruit – and this relationship is intense, heartfelt and often linked to childhood memories.

In his recipe book Markus Wittur tracks down to this relationship. Thoughts and notes of the authors go with each recipe. In his preface he writes: “Not the king, not the priest, not the farmer or gardener, not the servant or maid, simply the man with his emotional sympathy for the quince was and is important for passing on the cultural history of the quince from one generation to the next.”

“I love Quince” is not a stylish fashion cookbook. The blurb summarizes “a hodgepodge of 139 unique quince recipes from private passionate kitchens to experimental gourmet gastronomy between Buxtehude and Munich.”

Dominoes & quince tiramisu, sweet-chili sauce “quince style” & quince puree with black sausage crostinis, quince brandy & Usedom quince punch and much more make you want to cook it at home. Fortunatley, harvest time is back in nine months…

The cooking book “Ich liebe Quitten” can be ordered directly at Mustea Quittenhof.

I would love to visit thee quince farm in Untereisenheim at blossom time or better at harvest time. It must be wonderful. But, sorry, in autumn my captain is at sea, that means, better when the quinces are in blossom?