Quinces are such lovely things - I can't sing their praises enough and am so lucky to have a large quince tree in our garden. Their vanilla scent fills the kitchen. As soon as they are ripe and loose their fir, I gather them in and preserving them in every way I know how. We are now reaping the benefits in these wintery months with quincemeat cake, crumble and baked apples stuffed with quincemeat. Luckily I don't think I would ever tired of eating quince.

My most popular recipe is quince brandy - a lovely deep nectar drink that tastes like nothing else I know. I make litres of this every year and it never seems to last long enough.

Take a sterilised 2 litre kilner jar, or something similar with a tight fitting lid. In the jar place 6 cups of coursly grated quince and 2 cups of caster sugar. Add in 3 large cinnamon stick and 20 cloves. Pour over 1 litre of vodka - I have tried many different types (!) and find Smirnoff Red Label gives the smoothest finish. Top up the jar with water and seal. Put the jar somewhere warm and sunny and shake every day for two weeks so that the sugar dissolves. The liquid will turn a darm golden colour. Then leave the mixture to sit for a further two weeks. Strain through muslin and put into sterilised bottles - it is ready to drink immediately and is truly delicious!