Loquat jam

Loquat jam! Loquats, aka mousmoula, were a favorite of my pappou, so perhaps that’s how I even know what they are! A lot of people here in California don’t even know that these little yellow fruits dripping from their trees this time of year are edible! We don’t have a tree, but have some generous neighbors (they just don’t know it 🙃).

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4 cups (600g) pitted and halved loquats
2 cups (400g) sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
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Combine loquats and sugar in a non-reactive saucepan. Stirring occasionally, let the loquats macerate for 3 hours, bringing out their juice.
Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 to 40 minutes, or until thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.
Once cool enough, blend fully or partially with an immersion blender (depending on how chunky you prefer your jam to be). Place back over medium heat and bring to a boil. Stir in lemon juice and remove from heat.
Test to make sure the jam is set. I do this by placing a plate in the freezer and dropping a small amount of jam onto the cold plate. If, once cooled, the jam wrinkles when pushed with your finger, the jam is set and ready to jar. If not set, bring back to a boil and simmer for a further 5 minutes, then test again. Take care, as the jam will thicken substantially if overcooked, making it hard to spread!
Ladle the hot jam into sterilized jars and seal.
Tips: Start with 2 to 2 1/2 pounds (1kg) of loquats to get about 4 cups (or 20 ounces) of pitted loquats. Once pitted and halved, you will have about 4 cups. If you're not comfortable canning, simply store this jam in the freezer in small batches once cool. This recipe makes two 8 ounce (225g) jars.