Market
Early September.

Avoid fruit that is too hard or pale in color: it's not ripe.
The bloom is a sign of freshness and quality

Quetsches are fragile and dislike being shipped. They don't keep well.
However, they freeze very well.

Don't bother removing the thin layer of bloom that covers them. Simply rinse under cool running water.

Poach in syrup, use in clafoutis, tarts and cakes. Macerate in eau-de-vie.

The quetsche loves spices: ginger, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom.

Alsace - This is the typical Alsatian fruit with its unique flavor and texture. Once they were served as a vegetables (dried and served with fatty bacon), but these days they're appreciated more in tarts or in schnapps. Alsatian grandmothers used to dry them on a corner of the stove to keep them for winter.

An Eastern recipe: halve the quetsches and arrange them in tight rows on a layer of brioche dough sprinkled with bread crumbs; bake; sprinkle with cinnamon and icing sugar when you take it out of the oven. Serve with whipped cream.