The sweet winter harvest

Quince and rhubarb are nature's winter gifts. Our glorious dessert recipes will leave you inspired to rush to the greengrocers and try these forgotten fruit and vegetables.

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Quince

The mysterious quince, with its yellow exterior and it's tough floury inside, magically transforms with sugar and slow cooking to a ruby red in colour and tender flesh.

Store them in a cool, dry, airy place ideally with enough space between fruits to prevent them from touching for a couple of weeks.

For longer storage, refrigerate for a month or freeze for 3 months.

Rhubarb

With ribbed stalks that range from red and pink to green, rhubarb is at its peak during winter. The tart, earthy flavour of the stalks changes to a refreshing sharpness when cooked. But never eat rhubarb leaves, as they're poisonous.

Remove and discard the poisonous leaves, then wrap the stalks in plastic food wrap. Store in the crisper section of the fridge for up to a week.

Don't wash the rhubarb until you're ready to use it.

Don't overcook, if poaching, as rhubarb will turn to mush if overcooked.

Quinces with custard & brown sugar crumble

SERVES 4 PREP + COOK 30 MINUTES (QUINCE POACHING TIME)

1 Preheat oven to 200°C (180°C fan-forced). Combine butter, flour, sugar, oats and salt in a bowl and mix to combine. Refrigerate for 15 minutes.

2 Line a large baking tray with baking paper. Remove crumble mixture from fridge and, using your fingers, crumble the mixture into chunky 3cm pieces on the tray. Bake for 15 minutes, or until deep golden, tossing halfway during baking.