The quince hails from modern day Iran/Turkey and is said to have a flavor that contains notes of lemon, jasmine flowers, orange blossoms, pineapples, D’anjou pears and even apple (depending on who you ask). In other words, the fact that the fruits flavor defies simple description explains it best— quince is really its own thing. If you’ve had it, you know it. If you haven’t, it’s tough to make a point of reference. I first made this with brioche, but panettone is much easier to find. The occasional nub of candied peel from the sweet bread is pleasing, too. When the time is up, take your sterilised bottle and using a funnel with some muslin or a coffee filter in it; strain the gin into the bottle. I found that it was best if I strained it twice. Just make sure you replacing the muslin with a new piece after the first straining.

The bottling technique: Add your spirit to a Kilner jar or another sealable container. Make sure your kit is clean and sterile to avoid the spirit going bad. Then add your infusing ingredient and leave it to leach into the spirit. Here's a rough time guide:Leave strong chilli, vanilla, cardamom or citrus for less than a day.Hardy spices and strong-flavoured veg will need five to seven days.Berries and strong fruit can take around three to four weeks to impart as much flavour as possible.Milder ingredients like apple or florals will take up to a month.If you know what you’re getting into— it’s a really pleasant flavored gin. It’s not a gin with quince, but a quince flavored, sweetened gin. When you're happy with the flavour, sieve to remove any solids, then pass through a very fine piece of muslin or a coffee filter to get rid of any sediment. The aroma of fresh stone fruits appears immediately, gently followed by hints of juniper and citrus zest. The distinctive flavour of quince dominates the palate, giving way to the sweetness of apricots and peaches, with a long, fruity finish that opens out into orange blossoms and zesty grapefruits. Remove the quince from the heat. Spoon the fruit and its cooking syrup into a baking dish approximately 24cm in diameter. Break the panettone into large bite-sized pieces, then push them down into the fruit.

On entry, the palate has a fair viscosity. Early, it has a syrupy sweetness for me that reminds me of the juice from canned pears (in heavy syrup). Tart citrus rounds things out. Mid-palate there’s slight hints of green juniper and a touch of baking spice. The finish is long and sweet, with rich notes of pear syrup and candy. It’s not cloying, but Whitley Neill Quince Gin is sweet. The first thing I did was measure how much gin my decorative bottle would take. My bottle would hold 350mls of gin, so allowing for a little bit of wastage during the straining process, and me having a little taste, I measured out 380mls of gin and poured it into a large sterilised jar.Bake for 30 minutes or till the surface is crisp but still pale gold, perhaps a little toasted here and there. Serve with double cream. Poached quince, gorgonzola cream

I liked Whitley Neill Quince Gin in a Gin and Tonic, but I did find it a touch too sweet if using a tonic water like Schweppes for example. Paired with a less sweet tonic water, Whitley Neill Quince Gin adds more and the end result is actually quite beautiful. It’s sweet, with apple and pear facets and a pleasant bitter finish. You really have to look for the juniper there, but it’s a good drink in its own right. Try a Gin and Soda for an easier party pour that keeps the quince and gin character at the fore. Overall, Whitley Neill Quince Gin The aroma of Whitley Neill Quince Gin is quite lovely. Lots of quince— its has some hints of Honeycrisp apple, round soft notes of canned Bartlett pear and a spiced juniper note. In other words, it’s immediately recognizable as quince and gin. A small jump from pears with roquefort: quince and panettone pudding. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin/Observer Put the jar to one side, making sure you shake the jar every few days. Leave the quince to sit in the gin for 3-6 weeks.Put the sugar into a saucepan, add 750ml of water and bring to the boil. Peel the quinces then cut them in half from tip to base. Lower the quince halves into the syrup, add the lemon, cut in half then add to the pan. Turn the heat down so the quinces simmer gently. Partially cover with a lid and leave to cook, testing occasionally for tenderness with the point of a skewer. Sweet soft-fleshed quince and blue-veined cheese – a small jump from that other sublime partnership, ripe pears with roquefort. If I had a box of fruits appear on my doorstep, I would certainly have a go at making quince jelly to eat with cheese. And I wouldn’t stop at the firm Spanish cheeses that this slightly gritty amber spread traditionally accompanies. The sweet paste shines with goat’s cheeses and blues alike. I like the idea of making a tiny parcel of blue cheese, wrapping it in pastry and serving it with membrillo, as quince paste is known, on the side. Once it has been baked or poached, the flesh becomes soft and almost Turkish delight-like. A quince in this state will benefit from a crisp crust. Best so far has been a crumble, rough as pebbledash, where I tossed together flour, butter, almonds and breadcrumbs and sweetened it with light, butterscotch-scented muscovado.

Herbs & plants: rosemary, thyme, lavender, mint, elderflowerRemember, the more you use the stronger the flavour. Use around 200-400g of fruit per litre of spirit. The quinces must be thoroughly tender before being removed from the syrup. Remove the quince halves with a draining spoon, reserving a little of the syrup for moistening the fruit as you serve it. Keep the rest, refrigerated, for poaching other fruits. (Lightly perfumed, it will work for both apples and pears.) Set the quinces aside to cool. Quince Gin, or any fruit flavoured gin is really easy to do, you just need a big jar, some fruit, a bit of sugar, gin and some time. Whitley Neill Quince Gin is a flavored gin that adds quince and sweetening after distillation. The color is a bit neon yellow poured from the bottle, which reads a bit as Mountain Dew and yellow #5. Tasting Notes Seal your bottle and decorate it with a nice label if you’re giving it as a gift. I’ve called this gin “Two Quinces” after the 1992 Spin Doctors song, you’re welcome.

To sterilise your jars and bottles, put your clean jars in a low oven for at least half an hour. Carefully remove your jars from the oven (they will be incredibly hot) and allow them to cool down a little. How to store: If your bottles or jars are well sealed, strained correctly and kept in a cool, dark place, your spirits can keep for up to a year. Place a large heavy-based cooking pot over a low heat and tip in the cubed quince, the caster sugar, 250ml of water and the remaining half of the lemon. Bring to the boil, then lower the heat so the quince simmers very gently. Partially cover with a lid. Let the fruit cook for about 40 minutes, during which time it will change colour to glowing yellow-pink. Stir the mixture regularly to make sure it doesn’t catch and burn. There should be quite a bit of syrup.