Kiwi Fruit Jam

Cinzia from Cindystar is hosting this edition of Weekend Herb Blogging and this week I've got myself some Actinidia deliciosa



It's gone through several name changes, from Chinese Gooseberry and Melonette before finally finding itself claimed by New Zealanders and given the name Kiwi Fruit. I'd hate to be the one to break this news to our neighbours but a more appropriate name might be Italian Fruit since Italy heads the table of kiwi fruit producers.

Kiwi fruit have high levels of Vitamin C as well as Vitamins A, B1, B2, B3 and E. It's also rich in Calcium, Iron and Potassium and an excellent source of anti-oxidants and fiber.

The skin is actually edible but I think its most attractive characteristic is on the inside



Pretty as a picture but in all honesty, they aren't a fruit that I'm overly fond of, the flavour for me, is a bit one-dimensional and they seemed to be consigned to being the topping of a pavlova or the boring bit in fruit salad.

So the dish I've made is in fact an attempt to get me to like kiwi fruit and the route I've taken is to turn it into jam!



Kiwi Fruit Jam

400 grams kiwi fruit (prepared weight)
300 grams caster sugar
1 lemon, juiced
½ cup water

Prepare the kiwi fruit:

Peel the fruit and then cut into quarters and then cut these into thirds. You'll need to have around 400 grams of cut fruit for this recipe - around 8 kiwi fruit depending on their size.



Put the prepared fruit into a saucepan, sprinkle over the sugar, lemon juice and water and place over a low heat. Stir until the sugar has dissolved and then allow to gently simmer, without boiling.

Due to the pectin levels of the fruit and the addition of lemon juice, you shouldn't have to use any additional pectin or special sugars.

As this simmers, the kiwis will start to break down and release their juice. Stir every now and again, to ensure the mixture doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan - the aim now is to get the mixture to reach 104°C/220°F.

When it nears this setting point, take a potato masher and begin to gentle mash the fruit - this will help release those seeds and also add a bit more body to the jelly. Once at the temperature, remove from the heat and let it sit for a few minutes to settle.

Pour into sterilised jars and seal.



The end product is a lovely green jelly into which those seeds lay suspended. Fresh tasting with pleasant sweet lemon tang it certainly has satisfied my aim.

As an aside, I must say that I surprisingly really enjoyed the flavour of the just stewed fruit and think they would make an excellent addition to a fruit crumble. Something to try in the future.

Get Jammin'




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