History: The history of Quince of Portugal is largely unknown aside from the fact that it was introduced to England in the early 1600s.
Why We Grow It: This quince is often considered to have the best flavour of all quinces. On top of that, the impressive fruits of this variety can weigh up to 1 lb and are juicier than most other cultivars. When ripe, this quince cooks to a lovely crimson coloured puree. It is best to store the fruit indoors for a couple weeks before eating it.
Canadian Hardiness Zone: 5b
Soil Preference: Sandy loam, loam, clay loam. Prefers average to moist conditions with well-drained soils, avoid planting anywhere that floods for more than two weeks in the spring.
Growth Habits and Disease Resistance: Hardy, slow to start bearing fruit. Somewhat susceptible to fireblight, leaf blight, and coddling moth.
Sun/Shade: Full sun (approx. 8-10 hours of sun daily)
Pollination: Self-pollinating, this variety will produce fruit without a quince of a different variety but will produce more and better fruit if one is present
Ripens: Late September
Storage: Keeps for a couple months when stored in cool, humid conditions
Recommended Use: Baking, cooking
Size including roots:
- 1m+ Whip: 100cm+
- 1m+ Branched: 100 cm+ with 3 or more branches, 30 cm or more
- <1m Whip: less than 100 cm