Loquats are coming into season here in Southern California, and I have to say that I’m very much enjoying cooking with and learning about this fruit that is new to me.  There are 5 or so loquat trees planted around our community garden, so we’ve been picking the plentiful fruits and experimenting with making a loquat jam.  I’ve settled on a recipe that I really like, and I’m excited to share it on the blog today!

The loquat jam has a texture similar to lemon or orange marmalade.  The fruit itself does cook down to become tender, and I like the texture and appearance of having large pieces in the resulting jam.  Other recipes that I’ve researched suggest blending after cooking for a smoother finish, which is an option.  I added much less sugar and some lemon peel and juice to my recipe, as I have found other recipes to be much too sweet.  The jam from my recipe is still quite sweet, lightly fruity and floral, with a nice bit of acid and zesty lemon notes to round it out. 

This jam sets perfectly without the addition of pectin, so it’s a great start for jam-making newbies as it doesn’t require any specialized ingredients! We processed these using the canning method for long, shelf stable preservation, but this can also be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within a month if you are not ready to take on the full canning process!

If you are able to access some loquats this season, consider making this recipe!  It’s a great way to use a lot of fruit, and the resulting jam is a great accompaniment to breakfast toast, yogurt, or shortbread cookies.  I may try other variations of loquat jams in the future too, so stay tuned for that!

One more thing before we start – this recipe is easy to adjust based on how much fruit you are starting with.  We had 8 cups of cleaned, sliced fruit and used 2 cups of sugar, so the ratio is about 4:1 in terms of cleaned, sliced fruit to sugar.  Loquats are full of seeds, so I based my measurements off of the fruit amounts that will actually be included in the recipe. 

Recipe down below with photos as well!

Loquat Jam

Makes 3 8oz jars of Loquat Jam

Ingredients:

• 8 cups of cleaned, pitted, and sliced loquat fruit
• 2 cups of sugar
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Method:

1. Wash the loquats thoroughly.  Remove any stem pieces that remain on the loquats before cutting into the fruit.
2. To remove the fruit of the loquats, take a pairing knife and cut around the circumference of the fruit, lengthwise (similar to how you would cut an avocado).  Open the halves of the fruit and remove the seeds from the centers (loquats contain anywhere from 1-5 large seeds).  The inner membrane of the fruit can stay, it’s perfectly edible.  Remove the dark bottom end of the fruit where the flower was with your fingers (pinch it out) or a pairing knife. 
3. Slice your cleaned fruit halves into ¼ inch strips.  Collect these strips of cleaned fruit in a large measuring cup to determine how much fruit you have.
   1. This recipe is easily adjusted at a ratio of 4:1 cups of cleaned fruit to sugar.  For example, if you end up with 4 cups of cleaned fruit, use 1 cup of sugar.
4. Once all the fruit is cleaned and sliced, add the fruit to a large pan or Dutch oven.  Add the sugar and allow the fruit and sugar to sit for 30 minutes to draw some of the juices out of the loquats.
5. After 30 minutes, add the juice of ½ of the lemon and the lemon zest to the pan.  Turn the pan onto medium high heat, and stir until all of the sugar has dissolved.
6. Bring the fruit mixture up to a full boil, and boil for about 25 minutes until the fruit is tender.  Keep an eye on the amount of liquid in the pan – there should be some syrup remaining at the end of the boiling process.  If the liquid starts to run dry, add more lemon juice or some water to prevent burning.
7. After boiling, add the remaining juice of ½ of the lemon, stir to combine.  Spoon jam into jars and process using the canning method to preserve for up to 18 months, or store in the refrigerator and use within 1 month.
8. Enjoy!

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