This golden fragrant jam tastes like nothing else! Loquat jam flavours are a lovely blend of apricot, mango and passionfruit, with chunks of soft fruit and a thick amber syrup this is a truly beautiful jam.
Loquats have naturally high levels of pectin and sugar, making them easy to work with when it comes to getting a jam to set (much easier than Strawberry Jam for example).
The fruit is best foraged rather than bought, there are so many trees around older established suburbs, and so much goes to waste.
Have a look on ripenear.me for a tree near you!
Loquat Jam Ingredients
- 2 kilograms Loquats {Halved, de-seeded, and stems removed}
- 1 kilogramwhite sugar
Loquat Jam – Steps
- Before starting, make sure you have got clean, dry jars…and place them in the oven on low to keep them warm.
- Get comfy at the table, it will take some time to de-seed all the loquats!
Rip or cut them in half, and remove seeds.
There is no need to remove the skin from the fruit, but I do like to take out the harder piece at the base. - You can use more or less fruit, the weight should be taken after de-seeding and removing stems and hard bases.
As long as you use a 2:1 ratio of loquats to sugar, you will be fine. - Once the loquats are prepared, tip them into a large heavy based saucepan with the sugar. Stir to combine and let the mixture sit at room temperature for around one hour.The sugar will dissolve and the lovely juices and fragrance will come out of the fruit.
- Place on the stove, starting with a low-medium heat and stirring often, then go to a high heat.Do not leave the room!You will need to stir frequently to prevent the fruit catching to the bottom of the pan. If it burns, it is really horrible and a tough job to clean up.
- I boiled the jam for around 40 minutes so it was a lovely amber golden colour. I have experimented with letting it go longer and darker, this results in a more caramelised flavour – but I like the lighter option.Jams are usually tested for setting stage by placing a teaspoonful onto a cold saucer (from the freezer) and then prodding it to see if it is thick or runny.As loquats have a good amount of naturally occuring pectin, they do set the jam after boiling, and you can see this is happening as you stir.But, by all means do the saucer test if you are not sure.
- Once you are happy that the jam is the stage and colour you like, it is time to bottle. Always put hot jam into a hot jar.Fill to the top, adding a bit at a time and pushing down with a spoon to remove air pockets.Screw on the lid, and you are done.
- I like messing around with graphics tools like Canva to make labels, of course you can just write out your own. Always put the date on.
2:1 Ratio….is that by volume or weight?
Alice, just putting the jam into bottles, it looks and tastes fantastic. Thanks so much. Carol
Great recipe! Delicious! Now the rosellas have to share the loquats!
Loquat trees grow all over in several Mexico City neighborhoods, but no one apreciete their fruit. I ‘ m cooking your jam recipe with some loquats I gathered this morning. It looks wonderful. Thanks a lot
Could I break up the fruit a bit with an immersion blender before I pack the jars?
Absolutely, just make sure it is still very hot when bottling (for food safety) – return to the pan to reheat if needed. Breaking up the fruit would also make it into a lovely sauce for pancakes and icecream.
Yes, you can. Just don’t make it too smooth. The chunks of fruit make it great!
does this jam require a “hot bath” as for canning, or does it need to be refrigerated!
I have the same question as Marsha—-does the jam require a “hot bath” or does it need to be refrigerated right away? or should it cool down before refrigeration.?
We have two loquat trees in front of the building I work in. Two of us have picked loquats and we’ve made chutney and your jam recipe. Turned out great!
after you fill the jars, and put the lids on, how long does it need to sit. And does it go into refrigerator, pantry, or even freeze?
Thank you
after the jars have been filled and lids put on, how long do they sit out to cool. Does this recipe have to be refrigerated, or can it go on the pantry shelf, or be frozen.
Anyone can answer, thank you.
If you put the jam boiling hot into sterile jars and immediately cover with sterile lids, you can keep them in the pantry.
Some people prefer to flip the jars upside down after you close the lid (I don’t think it’s necessary). If you use lids with “a safety button”, you can easily see when the lid has been sucked in or even hear the pop. Then you can flip the jar right side up.
Don’t wait for the pop to turn them right side up. The pop occurs later. I have always turned my jams upside down for 10 minutes and then flipped right side up. You will hear the pop as they are cooling. Remember, 1) Make sure to wipe any jam spills off of the rim before putting the lids on and 2) after they are cooled, remove the ring for storage. You never store canned goods with the ring in place since any food residue can fester under the ring and break the seal.
I would do a hot water bath just to be safe. If you plan to keep it long term
Hi, this looks like a lovely recipe! Would it also work with brown sugar? Thanks!
Thank you soooo much!!! I froze my loquats and then defrosted them to make the jam. We’ll see if it turns out :-).
I didn’t think about freezing loquats. Do you freeze them whole or cut and de-seed then freeze??
Has anyone used raw sugar instead of white sugar ?
How long after bottling does it last? In the cupboard and the fridge.
I followed the recipe exactly, but when my jam cooled in the jars it turned out almost as hard as toffee – totally inedible. What did I do wrong?
Looking forward to making my first batch of loquat jam (and hopefully chutney if we have enough fruit). It’s our first year in our new home with our loquats ripening, plus there are another 2 trees on the footpath near my husband’s work, all full of fruit that is about ready to be picked ?
Thank you for your recipe, it’s very straight forward. I like to flip my jars as I feel it gives a better seal as the jam cools.
Thank you!! This is a wonderful and simple recipe. I have made it a few times, and wanted to share some notes. It’s a bit on the sweet side for me, so i use a little less sugar. I imagine this depends on the ripeness of the loquats, and how long you boil the jam. The loquats also didn’t break down as much as I expected (like apricots do, for example), so at the very end I used an immersion blender to get the exact texture I was after: spreadable but with chunks of fruit.
I made this recipe. I had about 4 1/2lbs of fruit after seeded. And I used abt 1 1\2 lbs of sugar. I did process for 15 minutes. It yielded 13. 1/2 pint jars. YUMMY!!!!
I made some loquat jam today. If you don’t like it to sweet, I’d suggest adding maybe a cup or two of sugar and taste before adding more. Mine was way to sweet and I had to keep adding more loquats to get it to the taste I wanted. I also added some cinnamon.
Thanks for your help!
I’ve made this recipe several times and it turns out perfect every time! Thank you!
Hello. I’ve been totally winging it with these loquats. Grateful for your recipe. Confession time – I didn’t know you don’t have to peel them so I peeled them all. Man was that time consuming! Does that mess up the fruit to pectin ratio? If so I can always go gather some more to supplement the batxh with. Thank you.
I need help please.. I had sitting in sugar last night when friends came over so u put a lid on and put it in the fridge. Cooking now on Med-low for over 45 minutes and it’s still a thin syrup.. now what?