Listen & Be Heard Weekly Archives

The loquat trees originated in China and were brought to Europe by the early explorers, and later to our western hemisphere. The trees produce an enormous amount of fruit each year. The fruit has a mixture of sweetness and tartness. I think they’re delicious, and every year I make a batch of jam from them. Despite our having one of the rainiest winter/spring that I can remember, I’ve noticed that the loquat trees, (mine and my neighbors) are already bearing fruit. I’m surprised because it seems to be earlier than I can remember that the trees started to fruit out. Perhaps it’s because of the rather warm winter we experienced this past year. Anyway, I thought I’d give you my recipe for making a great jam from the loquat fruit. It takes a bit of work, but it’s well worth it. So here goes:

Pick or ask one of your neighbors if you can pick a batch of fruit. (Interestingly, I’ve never seen them for sale in any of the markets). Wash and seed the fruit. Halve them, take out the large seeks and remove the blossom end. Rough chop the fruit. Measure the pulp. You’ll need about five cups. If you enjoy a bit of tartness, you can add about 1/4 cup of lemon juice. Set aside six or seven cups of sugar depending on your sweet tooth.

Meanwhile, wash your canning jars (about 8 or 9) and place them in a large canning pot. Cover them with water and bring to a boil. When boiling, turn down the heat to simmer. Place the caps for thye jars in a smaller pot of hot water and let them keep warm.

Add a package of fruit pectin to the chopped pulp and mix well. Bring mixture to a full boil. If the fruit hasn’t produced much liquid when macerated, you can add a bit of water. Also, you can add a tsp of butter to the mix to reduce foaming. Keep stirring the pulp and cook until the fruit seems tender and has turned a deep red. Add the sugar and return to a boil, stirring the mixture to ensure that it is well mixed. When you’re satisfied, remove any foam and start filling your canning jars, leaving about 1/4 inch of space at the top. Then, cover the jars with their screw tops, tighten them well and after all of the jars have been filled, return them to your canner and bring to a gentle boil. Allow them to process about ten minutes. Take them out and let them cool. It will take at least a week to set up. If you don’t eat them all up, they’re good for at least a year if kept on your pantry shelves. After you open a jar, keep it in the refrigerator. I think that once you’ve tried it, you’ll make a batch every spring. ENJOY!

Be Sociable, Share!

•