Preserves Online: Loquat Preserves

Wednesday 18 July 2012

Loquat Preserves

Gather loquats when full size, but still hard and only partially turned in color. Wash, remove seeds, and blossom ends. Barely cover with cold water. Simmer covered for 15 minutes Cook slowly until pulp is very soft. Strain juice through jelly bag. Measure 3-1/2 cups loquat juice and lemon juice in a large kettle. if more juice is needed, fill last cup or fraction of a cup with water. Add pectin. Stir well. Place over high heat and bring to boil, stirring constantly. Add the sugar and mix well. Continue stirring and bring to full rolling boil. Boil exactly 2 minutes. Remove from fire and let boiling subside. Skim carefully. Pour into hot sterilized jelly glasses, leaving 1/2-inch space at top to cover at once with melted paraffin.There are enzymes in the seeds that react with these compounds and basically cut them apart, releasing cyanide when the seeds are cut and exposed to air. The cutting or chewing is also necessary to open up the cells and allow the enzymes to touch the compounds. When you boiled the seeds in the fruit to make the juice, the heat destroyed the enzymes. Plus you threw them away without cutting or chopping them, so there's nothing toxic left in the juice.