Loquat and Mulberry Jam -- a riff on a Pinedo recipe

When I tried this recipe from Encarnacion Pinedo's book, Pear and Fig Jam, (visit here to see it) it turned out wonderfully and also surprised me.  I had expected the pear to add a background note to the fig, but the recipe had me candy the pear chunks first, then embed them in the fig jam.  

This technique intrigued me, and I wondered how I could apply it to other fruits.  

My loquat tree is producing great quantities after the wet winter, and my mulberry tree is mature enough to produce well, too.  I decided to try candying the loquat chunks and embedding them in a mulberry jam.  Why not?

My Recipe

2 pounds, 3 ounces mulberries

3 pounds, 8 ounces loquats (weight before removing seeds and most of the peels; 1 lb, 12 oz after)

3 cups water

1 pound sugar

a splash of lemon juice

Mmmm.  Loquats and mulberries!

Loquats halved, seeded, and peeled

Mix the water and sugar.  Bring to a boil and hold it there for 2 minutes.

Cut the loquats into small chunks and add to the sugar syrup.  

Bring to a boil and then simmer for two hours.  I noted the temperature reached about 200 degrees F, the syrup was getting thick, and the loquats looked candied.

Cut the mulberries into small chunks if they aren't already small.  (Mine are Pakistani mulberries, so they are long.)  Add to the loquats.

Add the lemon juice.  Stir it in.

Continue to simmer until the temperature reached 210 degrees F, then remove it from the heat.

Put into jars.

Loquat chunks, nearly candied

Mulberries ready for the pot.

Finished jam

The Verdict

The color is a lovely dark red, the seeds from the mulberries and the orange loquat chunks add visual texture.  The scent is of mulberries but also a little something else.

The flavor is absolutely luscious.  Mulberries with little bursts of loquat, and it is sweet but not overly so.  The splash of lemon juice was a good choice -- while the lemon flavor is not discernable, the acidity helps the jam from being too sweet.

Oh my, success.  Wonderful success!  I would do it again if I can get enough mulberries at one time.  

I'm glad I was able to make this technique work.  Now I wonder what other combinations would be good?  Also, if mulberries aren't available, I think blackberries would also work well.

Later I made a jam from mostly loquats with a small handful of mulberries and a splash of lime juice.  The loquats didn't break up in the cooking process, so I used a stick blender and pureed the mixture once it cooked to about 210 degrees F.  This made it more like a spread or a fruit butter, and it was also very tasty.  I do love loquats.