Quince. No, not quints, as in babies, but quince, as in fruit. Yes, it’s fruit—a pretty ancient one at that. There’s some speculation that what the serpent handed Eve was a quince, and not an apple at all. One indisputable fact is that quince used to be grown throughout the New York area. These days, however, much of New York’s current population can be divided into two categories when it comes to quince: Those who have never cooked with the fruit, or even heard of it, and loyal quince enthusiasts who wax rhapsodic about it. Whichever category you fall into, now's the time to get familiar with it. Quince can be difficult to find, and its season in this area is nearly over.