The bees and stars have aligned to assist our tree to produce some great Loquats this year. Lovely lil’ fruits.
Despite the similarities in name and color, the loquat is not at all related to kumquats. Kumquats are actually related to oranges, while loquats are a Japanese plum. They’re a stone fruit, much like apricots, peaches or nectarines. Both Loquat and Kumquat plants bear little orange-colored oval fruits, but their taste could not be more different.
Loquats are best eaten fresh off the tree — the seeds are easily dislodged — much as one would spit out a cherry pit — and just about as much fun to flick away with your fingers. Because loquat flesh discolors shortly after being picked, you won’t find them on most grocery shelves. However, the bounty from just one self-pollinating tree is usually so plentiful, most folks resort to canning, or baking.
The flavor is a pleasant blend of apricot, plum and cherry with floral overtones, and is quite sweet when ripe. It would actually make a great lip balm flavor. Goal is to perfect the jam first, then hopefully figure out some sorta Loquat honey with the bee hives… one day (retirement daydream #117)
Your Moms a Loquat Jam
INGREDIENTS
8 cups loquats
2 cups white sugar
1 vanilla bean
1 lemon
1 tbsp powdered ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
Wash those fat quats. Then chop and de-seed them. Slice them into quarter pieces - put in stock pot
Juice the lemon and toss the loquats in the juice. Chop the vanilla bean in pieces while whiserping sweet nothings and add to the stock pot with the fruit.
Add sugar and ginger to the stock pot and bring to a boil-stir, shimmy, and shake.Once the fruit begins to boil, reduce to a simmer and cook for 1 hour
Remove the vanilla bean and set the jam aside till jammy jam jar time.