About Vermont Quince

Hello -

After enjoying exquisite dulce de membrillo / quince paste in Spain one summer long ago, I was thrilled to learn that quince grows locally here in northern New England. In fact, in colonial times, many homesteaders planted a tree because of the nutritional content, high pectin, unique taste, and magical properties of the ancient fruit of happiness, good fortune & love. Fortuitously, I was introduced to a guy in nearby Putney, Vermont who offered me the fruit of his three trees.

I started experimenting with quince recipes found on the web and sharing with family and friends who soon began to encourage me to sell some of the products. After talking to a few Vermont specialty food producers and cheesemongers, I learned that there was a market opportunity for local quince products, especially our fresh, lemony quince paste.  And then I learned that there were a couple of local orchards with Cydonia oblonga trees that had begun producing at a volume that could support a fledgling quince business.

The rest is history - we incorporated Vermont Quince Company in 2012 and since, have transformed nearly 15 tons of locally grown quince into what we believe to be the planet's most extensive line of condiments and preserves featuring quince!

Until COVID-19 hit, we largely sold our products at local farmers' markets and festivals, at Grafton Village Cheese and a few other Vermont retail shops and through four regional distributors. Part of our social mission is a commitment to keep the total "food miles" associated with both ingredient sourcing and final product distribution as low as possible.

But the lingering pandemic has called for a business strategy revision and one of the new sales channels is this simple shop featuring four popular products - quince paste, quince mustard, quince preserves, and quince-infused vinegar. Over time, we'll be adding new products, product lines, and collections including an exciting Quince Home Goods Collection!

Please note that we can offer our products in multiple sizes to accommodate food service preferences, private label opportunities, and the desire for unique gifts and favors.  As a tiny business however, we ask for as much lead time as possible for any special orders.

Thanks so much for your interest in Vermont Quince and the ancient fruit of happiness, good fortune, and love!

Nan

 

 

Thank you for your interest and getting this far into the history of tiny Vermont Quince. Please know that we are always interested in hearing from people who want to share info about cooking and/or growing Cydonia oblonga. If that describes you, please consider joining the respective mailing list (#CookQuince and #GrowQuince). A third list (#VermontQuince) features periodic Vermont Quince updates, notification of blog posts, and special promotions. 

Please let us know if you are inclined to share photos and/or reviews of our products to your family and friends and check out the Vermont Quince loyalty program on this site.  Also, we appreciate any and all referrals related to our very unique gifts & favors featuring the ancient fruit of happiness, good fortune and love -- something we can all benefit from these days!

Stay healthy and happy!

Nan Stefanik

Owner / product developer