KIWIFRUIT JAM

We could not believe our eyes when we saw hairy brown Kiwifruits growing in a resort near Bhowali. Yes, Kiwifruits are being cultivated in Kumaon on a large scale. They are being grown in Bhowali, Ramgarh and  Mukteshwar belt which is known as “The Fruit Bowl of Kumaon”. On our way back home, we picked up two boxes of this yummy fruit from the Bhowlai fruit mart. The ripe ones were consumed in no time. The other box had semi ripe fruits and needed to be kept for a week or so. Once they ripened, I made Kiwifruit Jam.

The variety of kiwifruit growing in Kumaon is the fuzzy kiwifruit which is native to southern China. It has now been declared a “National Fruit of China”. Originally the fruit was known as Yang Tao and later called the Chinese Gooseberry. The export market to the United States started marketing the fruit by the name “melonette”. Since both melons and berries attracted high duties, the San Francisco importers suggested a short Maori name. Around 1962 it was proposed that the fruit be called “Kiwi”, after New Zealand’s national symbol Kiwi, as the bird and the fruit share a similar appearance(small, brown and furry).

Kiwifruit is a rich source of Vitamin C, Vitamin E, small amounts of Vitamin A and potassium. Kiwifruit seeds contains omega -3 fatty acid and the fruit is a good source of dietary fiber. (Source- Wikipedia)

 Ingredients

12-15 ripe Kiwifruits

Sugar (depending on the quantity of fruit pulp)

Lemon juice

Method

Peel the ripe Kiwi fruits with the help of a peeler.

With the help of a fork or with hands, mash them to get pulp.

Now measure the pulp. For every one cup of pulp, add ¾ cup of sugar and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix well and let it rest for about two hours or till the sugar dissolves completely. Transfer the contents to a heavy bottom non aluminum vessel and cook on medium flame. The jam starts boiling. It needs to be stirred continuously or else it starts sticking to the bottom of the vessel. When the quantity reduces to half and the jam starts coating the ladle thickly, it is done. Turn off the gas.

While the jam is getting cold, it is time to sterilize the bottles.

Place the washed and dried bottles with the lids in the oven. Set the temperature to 100 degrees and set the timer to 10 minutes. Remove the bottles and their lids from the oven. Ladle hot jam into the jars leaving ¼ inch headspace. Secure the lids tightly.

If you liked this recipe and tried in your kitchen, do write to me. I would love to hear from you :)