Cooke's Jumbo Quince
Estimated Inventory, lb : 0
This item was last sold on : 11/26/24
Description/Taste
Cooke’s Jumbo quince is a large varietal, averaging 15 to 20 centimeters in diameter, and has a pyriform, oblong appearance with a bulbous, broad middle and slightly tapered, knobbed ends. The variety often produces fruits that may vary in shape, and the skin is enveloped in a layer of soft, velvety brown fuzz. When the fuzz is gently wiped away, the skin is semi-thin, smooth, and taut, showcasing yellow-green hues. The skin is also easily scratched, bruised, or damaged despite its rugged feel. Underneath the surface, the ivory to cream-colored flesh is firm, dense, solid, and crisp when raw. It also contains a central core filled with tiny black-brown seeds in several hollow chambers. The flesh is not typically eaten fresh and is cooked before consumption, developing a soft, lightly grainy, and tender consistency. As it is cooked, the flesh transitions from ivory to pale pink hues. Cooke’s Jumbo quince releases an aromatic, floral, and fruity aroma reminiscent of flowers mixed with pineapple, pears, guava, and vanilla. Raw quince flesh has a tart, sour, astringent, and unpalatable flavor. Once cooked, the flesh creates a rich, sweet, and tart taste with fruity and floral nuances.
Seasons/Availability
Cooke’s Jumbo quince is available in the fall in California, typically harvested between September and October.
Current Facts
Cooke’s Jumbo quince, botanically classified as Cydonia oblonga, is an American variety belonging to the Rosaceae family. The mid-season cultivar was discovered growing as a chance seedling in Central California in the late 20th century and was selected for small-scale cultivation. Cooke’s Jumbo quince is one of the largest quince varieties, and the fruits develop on spreading trees reaching 3 to 4.5 meters in height. Growers favor the variety for its low chill requirement, needing around 100 hours to produce fruit. Chill requirement refers to the number of hours needed for a fruit tree to remain dormant in cooler temperatures. On average, quince trees need between 200 and 500 chill hours, making Cooke’s Jumbo quince a low-chill cultivar. Cooke’s Jumbo quince is also a hardy variety during cultivation and is self-fertile, meaning it can produce fruit without the need for cross-pollination. Despite their favorable qualities, Cooke’s Jumbo quince is a rare variety and is primarily localized to home gardens and select nurseries in the western United States. The cultivar is sometimes labeled Jumbo quince, Cook’s quince, and Golden quince and is favored by consumers for the fruit’s versatility in a wide array of sweet and savory preparations.
Nutritional Value
Cooke’s Jumbo quince has not been studied for its nutritional properties. Quince, in general, is a source of calcium, phosphorus, vitamin C, potassium, and magnesium. Calcium and phosphorus support bone and teeth health, while potassium balances fluid levels within the body and replenishes electrolytes. Vitamin C strengthens the immune system, and magnesium helps control everyday nerve functions. Quince also provides iron, vitamin A, and copper. Iron develops the protein hemoglobin for oxygen transport through the bloodstream, vitamin A maintains healthy organs, and copper produces red blood cells. One notable characteristic of quince is its content of phenolic compounds known as tannins. Raw quince contains tannins in the flesh, leading the fruit to taste astringent. If the flesh is cooked, heat helps break down tannins, making the flesh sweeter and palatable.
Applications
Cooke’s Jumbo quince has a sweet, floral, tangy, and fruity taste suited for cooked preparations. The variety must be cooked before consumption and develops a light pink hue when heated. Cooke’s Jumbo quince can be used in any recipe calling for cooked quince and is often simmered into jams, jellies, and preserves. The flesh contains a naturally high pectin content, allowing it to thicken when heated. Cooke’s Jumbo quince can also be cooked into chutney, poached, candied, or made into sauces for meat main dishes. Historically, quince was cooked into pies with apples, pears, or honey in the American colonies. Quince is still often made into pies in modern-day home kitchens, or they are incorporated into other baked goods. Cooke’s Jumbo quince is also hollowed, stuffed with dried fruit and spices, and baked as a savory-sweet dish or simmered into a variation of applesauce. Cooke’s Jumbo quince pairs well with lemon juice, vanilla bean, brown sugar, orange peel, fruits including apples, pears, pineapples, and figs, and spices such as cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, star anise, and nutmeg. Whole, unwashed Cooke’s Jumbo quince can be stored at room temperature until ripe. Once fragrant and mature, the fruits can be wrapped in plastic and stored in the fridge for several weeks to a month.
Ethnic/Cultural Info
Cooke’s Jumbo quince was named after the first nursery to commercially sell the variety. L.E. Cooke Co. was a family-owned and operated nursery in Visalia, California. The nursery was established by Ted and Edith Cooke in 1944 and was eventually run by several other family members. Throughout its history, L.E. Cooke Co’s nursery introduced over 150 varieties to commercial and home garden growers, including Cooke’s Jumbo quince. The company closed its nursery business in 2018, but many of the varieties promoted through their efforts are still being grown throughout the United States. Cooke’s Jumbo quince was also notably discovered by Herbert Alvin Kaprielian, a businessman nicknamed the “King of Quince” in California. Kaprielian was passionate about growing, packing, and marketing California-grown fruit and was an active member of several agricultural boards and committees in California, such as the California Fresh Fruit Association. It was said he had begun growing fruit trees in the 1950s and planted several quince trees as a specialty item.
Geography/History
Quince, in general, is native to the foothills of the Caucasus Mountains, a region between the Black and Caspian Seas. Wild species of quince have been naturally growing since ancient times, and fruits were eventually selected for cultivation and commercial sale and transported between countries along trade routes. Quince was spread to the Middle East and later to the Mediterranean in the Early Ages. They were also transported to East Asia. The fruits were known as a culinary ingredient in England by the 14th century and were planted in the gardens of early European settlers in North America. Quince was prevalent in the New World colonies by 1720, and it continued to expand in cultivation as settlers traveled west and south into Central America. It is also thought that Spanish and Portuguese settlers introduced Quince to regions of Central and South America. Quince was notably planted in California during the 19th century with the rise of farming and the opening of nurseries within the state. Several varieties of Quince were established in California, and it was during the late 19th century when Cooke’s Jumbo quince was discovered and commercially released. Cooke’s Jumbo quince was a chance seedling found in the orchard of grower Herbert Kaprielian in Dinuba, a city near Fresno in Central California. The variety was said to have been first noticed in a Van Deman orchard, another type of quince, in the 1960s. Some experts also hypothesize that the variety may have been a mutation of the Smyrna cultivar. Later, in 1972, Herbert Kaprielian gave the newly discovered variety to the L.E. Cooke Company, a nursery based in Visalia, California, and the variety was sold under the commercial name of Cooke’s Jumbo quince. Today, Cooke’s Jumbo quince is a rare variety primarily found in home gardens. The fruits are occasionally sold through select local markets and specialty distributors in California.
