Day 35: Persimmon Pineapple Orange Jam

  

Persimmon Pineapple Orange Jam
  
Day Thirty-Five (24.06.2012)
Processing: Hot Water Bath Canner 10mins
Yield: 2 - 2 1/2 x half-pints (2 - 2 1/2 cups)

  
   

13 persimmons for $2, score!

Scored 13 persimmons a week or so ago for $2! Impulsively purchased them, got home and wondered what I could make - as I had never tried them before. Found a nice chutney recipe I want to try, but that only uses 3 or 4, plus I needed a few ingredients so went searching for another canning recipe that would use the remaining persimmons ... persimmon butter (puree) seems to be a no-no, a full persimmon jam seems to be refrigerator-only but there were plenty of other recipes I found using them in chutneys, juices and mixed jams that were definitely shelf-stable. I found a juice recipe that used pineapple, orange and persimmons and thought that would be lovely as a jam - cutting back the sugar a little by adding the orange flavour as a juice.
   
Some of the persimmons are still hard and need time to finish ripening, but the ones I used are super soft squishy deliciously sweet fruit that bursts out of the skin when you peel the skin away. Yum! I used 6 small persimmons to make the 1 cup.  I used my staple jam recipe - I seem to keep returning to again and again when experimenting with different jam flavours! Two cups of fruit, 1 cup of juice, lemon juice, pectin and two cups of sugar makes between two and three half-pints of jam each batch. Give this one a go for a different jam to try :(^_^):
    
      
   Prepare fruit by crushing pineapple and juicing oranges (I used 1 1/2 oranges to get 1 cup of juice). Prepare persimmons by rinsing first, pulling  the stem and leaves out, peeling away the skin and removing the seed (if any) then chopping roughly. TIP: Taste a tiny bit from each persimmon - make sure they're sweet and not bitter - 1 bitter one will ruin the whole batch :( Heat jars by pre-boiling in a pot of water for 10 minutes, simmering seals and rings for 10 minutes in a saucepan of water.
        
      

Simmering fruit mixture until tender,
then blend with immersion blender
if you want a smooth jam

UPDATE: If you puree the fruits in this recipe, use within 3-4 months as they will lose the texture and consistency. If fruit is in pieces it will store for a longer period :)
  
Combine fruits and juices in a pot, stirring for a few minutes until heatened through and tender. You can puree the pineapple and persimmon if you want a smooth jam by using an immersion blender (this is what I did this time), or leave in pieces for a thick, chunky-style jam. Bring to a boil and whisk in pectin, stirring well. Bring to a boil again and add sugar all at once, stirring to combine. Keep on medium heat until sugar has completely dissolved. Bring to a rolling boil (cannot be stirred down) for 1 minute, then ladle into hot half-pint jars to 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace, remove bubbles, wipe rims, apply seals and twist bands on to fingertip-tight. Process in hot water bath canner for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove jars after 5 minutes to a teatowel-covered bench to rest overnight. The next day remove bands, label and store in a cool, dark place for up to 12 months if the jam has fruit pieces, 3-4 months if you puree'd the fruit. I made 2 1/2 x half-pints of jam using this recipe.
    

Ingredients (makes 5 x half-pints)

2 cups persimmon pieces (approx 12 persimmons)
2 cups pineapple pieces, (keep in pieces or crushed)
1 cup orange juice (approx 3 oranges)
2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
3 tablespoons pectin
2 cups white sugar