Quince from granny’s kitchen
Quince tree resembles the apple, the fruit has apple shape, irregularly bulging and covered in hairs. The tree enjoys warmth and is sensitive to frost. The quince fruit is problematic due to its properties, humidity and density.
Quince is a fruit of specific aroma and quince rakija is unlike any other. Production of quince rakija is complex, the fruits must be ripe and healthy.
Quince rakija
Quince is the most often falsified type, at best it is made of apples adding the quince aroma.
Our quince rakija is produced from Leskovac (90%) and Vranje (10%) sorts, improving finely while ageing. The best aromatic rakija component is obtained from Leskovac sort. The fruit that is good to consume is not necessarily good to make the rakija from. Orange has a million of distinct aromas, but, when distilled into rakija, there is no more of its aroma left. Years of experience qualify us to recognize a fruit that can be turned into a rakija. If quince fruits are picked while still green, we store them in the yard to ripen for a couple more weeks. Megdan rakija of Leskovac quince finely improves while ageing in French oak barrels (of 225, 300 and 400 liters) for a period between 12 and 18 months.
In preparation of quince we do not use choppers (choppers open the pit, creating cyanide). We have a machine with two hammers on the side, moving at tremendous speed and hitting the quince fruit. Our crushed fruit does not contain broken pits. In aging of the crushed fruit
(pomace), i.e., converting of sugar into alcohol (fermenting) the crushed fruit is stirred daily.
In home conditions this is not possible. Everyone believes that good rakija only requires good
fruit, but this is only the first prerequisite. It is actually necessary that the chain of production respects the strict procedure. By processing between 14 and 17 kg of quince we obtain one liter of Megdan quince rakija, produced in distillation column of the renowned German producer „Arnold Holstein“. Alcohol percentage in this rakija is cca. 40%.
Quince rakija is served slightly chilled.
