Quince and Apple: Growing for the Greater Good

The husband and wife team behind the brand Quince and Apple are a perfect blend of sweet and savory, just like their line of gourmet food products. Clare and Matt Stoner Fehsenfeld launched their company over ten years ago, in a sparse basement kitchen. Clare has a head for business and grew up in a family of entrepreneurs. Matt brings the culinary expertise. In 2009, they combined their talents to pursue their dream of opening their own sustainable food business. Together, they’ve created what’s grown into a successful food brand, now serving customers in 48 states. Their handcrafted artisan preserves, syrups, nuts and more are all small batch made, in the heart of Madison, Wisconsin.

“It all began with the first batch of Figs and Black Tea Preserves, which took a bit of experimenting to get it just right. Once we did, it was a hit. We sold our first case to Fromagination and it’s still a top seller today.”

I can see why, I’m one of their biggest fans! It’s like no other fig jam you’ve ever had. Most are overly sweet. Theirs has a distinct smoky black tea flavor with just a hint of shallot and a subtle orange marmalade. My brother in-law now requests it by the case.

Raspberry Rose is another flavor that flies off the shelves and gained new popularity during the pandemic, along with cheese and charcuterie boards. All of the preserves have well balanced flavors, perfect for pairing with cheese or in a sandwich.

I’ve already created two Zabelicious recipes with their preserves, which you can find in my food pages; Italian Fig Cookies and Cheese & Chutney Toastie. I’m working on another one. Stay tuned.

Since launching, they’ve expanded their team and relocated to a larger space. Their first client, Fromagination, remains one of their most loyal. The gourmet cheese shop offers customers an exclusive flavor of Quince and Apple preserves. Coincidentally, that’s where I had my first taste of the Figs & Black Tea Preserves and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Clare and Matt remain committed to handcrafting all of their products and never let fresh produce go to waste. During the pandemic, they created a new line of pickles to help out the farmers who weren’t able to sell their produce to local restaurants, due to lockdowns. The “Forward Provisions” pickled product line was such a hit, they are almost sold out. Don’t worry, they plan to relaunch this year with limited release batches of local veggies!

They’ve even sweetened their offerings, by adding a line of French inspired pate de fruit, under the name Modern Candy Co. The old school candy is apparently cool again. Flavors to tempt you include; mango, passionfruit or raspberry. The new fancy fruit candy took home the prestigious Good Food Award in the confections category last year, earning some press in Food and Wine.

Martha Stewart’s even given her stamp of approval to their spiced pecans, which she recommends as a “delicious” compliment to any cheese tray or cocktail hour. Speaking of cocktails, Fix, their award-winning line of craft cocktail syrups, is filled with flavor, but not with the sugar, found in most conventional syrups.

Clare and Matt say they appreciate the accolades, but the secret to their success is staying true to themselves.

“We still love what we do and and are always trying new recipes. Running a small businesses has its challenges, especially if your family grows along with it. Homeschooling two boys in between managing Quince & Apple during the pandemic was tough. “

They survived and are thrilled be able to see customers again safely, as farmer’s markets are reopening. It’s the perfect place to test out products or source new ingredients. I can’t wait to taste their next concoction!