Let the fruit cook for about 40 minutes, during which time it will change colour to glowing yellow-pink. Buoyed on by my gin making triumph, and somewhat overwhelmed by a glut of quinces, I decided to try my hand at making some Quince Gin.

Place the quince, sugar, spices and vanilla in the jar and top up with gin, up to one inch from the top, making sure all the ingredients are covered. I’ve never really drunk much quince gin before and now that I have, I find it hard to understand why it’s not more of a thing.

And then I poached some more, to have for breakfast with yogurt, and to eat later with blue cheese – an almost molten gorgonzola. If you're feeling especially intrepid, you can even save the seeds and cores to boost the pectin in your homemade jams and jellies. So it should come as no surprise that at the turn of the century, Frederick Neill found himself on a voyage through Persia, where he discovered a range of exotic fruit, herbs and spices to add inspiration to the Greenall Whitley family’s collection of Gin recipes. 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. Most of this goes towards making quince jelly, which is excellent with cheese, but this year I put aside two nice big quinces for ginning with.

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. Overall: One of the best flavoured-gins around - beautifully balanced and stunning with elderflower tonic and a slice of orange.

Make it in advance and leave to mature for around two to three months to get the most from these fabulous fruits.