Quince

Soooo... I've been working with this little diddy for about 2 and a half years, and I still really didn't ::know:: what a quince is, what it looks like "fresh" or what you do with it.  lol

I've only seen it dried. 

And while it is pretty, I could only imagine that when fresh, it consisted of a very hard flesh, with big seeds, a ridiculously deep skin, and an interesting aroma.

Pretty? Yes!

Seemingly fun to chew on?  I'd seem to think not.

However, if I actually found a fresh one, I would definitely be inclined to try one.

According to my research, they are a mixture between a pear and an apple.

And while you wouldn't want to eat it raw (because it's astringent-y), when it's cooked, the tartness mellows and the flesh turns pink.  I've only seen the yellow/orange color of the dried version, and often, it's even really dark brown or burnt orange.  (Things that change color astound me.  And the fact that it morphs colors from orange to pink, and it occurs naturally (in nature, that is) well, that's bonus points right there!)

Yes, I would definitely try it!
Now, I've just got to find it!

And then, after I've baked to my hearts content and seen all of the quince flesh turn pink, I could cut some slices, dry them, and the make some potpourri.  And that would be nice, especially since my last attempt of assembling a home-made potpourri, didn't quite turn out so well...

Or maybe I could just sit them in a bowl, all artistic like, and stare at them, and then take artsy pictures with deep shadows and bright highlights.
I've seen other pictures reminiscent of that... so I must have the same idea as other peoples.

They dined on mince and slices of quince,

Which they ate with a runcible spoon;

And hand in hand on the edge of the sand

They danced by the light of the moon.

~ "The Owl and the Pussycat," by Edward Lear

Interesting info about quince.
More interesting tidbits about quince.
Quince recipes.