248: New England Quince Taste Test

248: New England Quince Taste Test

Author: Ria Windcaller: Award-winning Cidermaker, Podcaster | Craft Beer Columnist November 25, 2020 Duration: 32:40

The New England Quince Taste Test 2020 was hosted by Vermont Quince. Nan Stefanik founded Vermont Quince in 2012 and coined the hashtag #growquince Her passion for this pomme is contagious and her quince based products help to further showcase the versatility of the quince. 

Quince and juice samples episode 248 Cider Chat

This year's New England Quince Taste Test was a virtual event. Boxes of quince juice, raw quince and poached quince were sent out to a group of tasters that included chefs and author of Simply Quince Barbara Ghazarian who is also known as the "Queen of Quince". A box was also sent to Cider Chat central where The Nose and Ria tasted and filled out the Taste sheet to be sent back to Vermont Quince. Do expect a follow up summary of the tasting results once the results are in.

Quince juice sampling episode 248 of Cider Chat

List of Quince varieties in the 2020 New England Quince Test

  • Aromatnaya
    • A Russian variety that bears a very large, bright yellow, aromatic fruit with a delicious, lemony flavor. Aromatnaya fruit can be eaten fresh, when thinly sliced and used to make marmalade and jellies.
  • Kuganskaya
    • Known to be from the region of the southern Caucasus, north of Turkey and Armenia. 
  • Orange
    • Expect ripening to occur October through December and to also extend through February in some colder areas. The Orange Quince is a self fertile tree and requires 300 chill hours.
  • Smyrna
    • Extremely large fruit with light yellow flesh, bright yellow skin. Attractive tree (or multi-stemmed shrub) has dark green foliage & very showy bloom. Tolerates wet soil.
  • van Deman - this quince variety was developed by Luther Burbank, (March 7, 1849 – April 11, 1926) who was an American botanist and horticulturist based in California. Van Deman bears good crops of large and delicious, bright yellow fruit. Expect a spicy flavored from this quince. 

Poached quinced samples episode 248 Cider Chat Poached Quince

Quinces are gritty, astringent, and hard even when ripe. The bitter astringency is as a result of the tannins. The tannins in the quinces are destroyed when cooked, while the delicate rich flowery aroma of a raw quince is maintained, turning the hard, tannic, astringent fruit into a softened and milder flavored fruit.

The testers did not know what variety corresponded with the samples provided, making this a "blind tasting"

This episode is a condensed version of the taste test conducted by The Nose and Ria.

Help Support Cider Chat Please donate today. Help keep the chat thriving!

Find this episode and all episodes at the page for Cider Chat's podcasts.


There’s a whole world in a glass of cider, and Cider Chat is your invitation to explore it. Hosted by award-winning cidermaker and writer Ria Windcaller, this podcast travels far beyond the bottle to meet the people who make the global cider culture so vibrant. Each conversation is a journey-you might find yourself in a heritage orchard learning the history of forgotten apple varieties, in a bustling taproom with an importer explaining regional traditions, or in a kitchen with a chef pairing cider with unexpected foods. The discussions get into the delightful nuances, too, whether that’s the semantics of what we even call this drink or how the concept of terroir translates from soil to sip. It’s not just about production; it’s about the community, the travel, and the stories that fermentation unlocks. This is for anyone curious about the craft, history, and sheer enjoyment of fermented apple juice in all its forms. So, pour a glass and settle in for a series that feels like a wide-ranging, informative, and genuinely good-humored chat with friends who happen to be obsessed with cider. You’ll come away with a deeper appreciation for every effervescent, tart, or sweet sip, hearing directly from the growers, makers, and enthusiasts who are shaping this drink’s exciting present and future.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 501

Cider Chat
Podcast Episodes
227 The Color of Cider [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:57
The Color of Cider provides a snap shot of an early practices used to deter black farmers gaining true equality and the difficulties facing African Americans today who may view farming as a step back to the plantation. W…
226: Northern Spy and the Underground Railroad [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 11:14
Northern Spy is a short story that weaves the tale of the early grafting of the apple known as the Northern Spy, Quaker values, and the Underground Railroad. Read and written by Ryan Monkman, for the new Cider Chat segme…
225: Terroir Spotlight | western Massachusetts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:25
New England was the Plymouth Rock of cider in the US for the colonist and western Massachusetts is the launch pad of the modern day US cider market. It was here in 1984 that West County Cider and The Maloney family rekin…
224: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series, Part 4 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:25
What is Flor aka Film Yeast and can the cider be saved? It's all in Part 4 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listener…
223: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series, Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:21
Discover two cidermaking techniques that are also used in winemaking, called Maderisation and Bâtonnage. We delve into both of these topics in Part 3 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" with Ryan Monkman of F…
222: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Series | Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 37:53
Part 2 of the Quarantine Quad Series called "Ask Ryan" continues with Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners on working with oak barrels. Listen Part 1 of the Quaran…
221: Ask Ryan | Quarantine Quad Pt1 Q&A [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 40:20
"Ask Ryan" features Ryan Monkman of FieldBird Cider, Ontario Canada answering questions from Cider Chat listeners. Ryan expertise with oak barrel ferments and oak barrels in general inspired this 4 part series. The fact…
220: Can Sorbs Save the World? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:17
This is a continuation of our conversation with Arnould Narzain of Paris. Listen to Part 1 in episode 218: Sorbs not Sulfites Arnould Narzain with a drop backdrop of Sorbs In this episode Arnould shares even more attribu…
CCL: NY Cider Association | Ex Dir. S.Ramsey [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 22:33
Bonus Cider Chat Live with the New York Cider Association's Scott Ramsey Scott Ramsey stepped into his role as Executive Director of the New York Cider Association on March 1, 2020. New York State was soon to become the…
219: Sorbs Not Sulfites [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:19:06
Sorbus Domestica enthusiast Arnould Narazian of Paris France, shares his knowledge and passion for this King of all Pommes. This "Service Tree's wood was used for wooden screws used in wine presses and the fruit to help…