You’d love the taste of kiwi jam so much, this will be your favorite jam. With just 3 ingredients, the jam is set amazingly without pectin. And you just need 30 minutes to cook the jam.
Kiwi jam tastes delicious and I'm in love with it. There are many jams on the blog, my favorites are plum jam, peach jam, and orange jam. This kiwi jam beats all three in taste.
What makes this recipe work?
The key to no pectin kiwi jam is to use the firm to touch, fully ripened kiwi. For setting a jam, we need pectin. As kiwi fruit is naturally high in pectic so we will make jam without commercial pectin.
Actually, pectin reduces in fruit as it ripens so fully ripened soft kiwi will not set well. I have noticed the same thing while making plum jam.
Kiwi are the best fruit for jam recipes, their natural tartness, bright green color and fruity aroma make the jam so delicious. Even the crunch from the seeds is so delightfully unique.
The firm fully ripened fruit gels so well. Compared grape jam and mango jam, this jam has a very good yield without too much sugar.
Ingredients
We will make this homemade kiwi jam without pectin with just three ingredients.
- Kiwi Fruit: I'm using fuzzy kiwi for this jam. Use firm and fully ripened firm kiwi that is high in pectin and gels well. You can find some interesting information about kiwi here at Mashed.com.
- Low Sugar Jam: I used 2 cups of sugar in this jam which is fairly sweet. Add at least 1 cup so the jam can gel easily. After adding minimum sugar you can taste test and decide if more sugar is needed. Like I did in apple jam and pear jam.
- Lemon Juice: Adjust the taste of kiwi according to what nature has given you. So if your kiwis are very sweet (like gold kiwi) add up to ¼ cup of lemon juice. If your kiwis are tart (like green kiwi) then use only 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
How to make it?
Place a few plates in the freezer for the jam setting test. Sterilize 2 glass jars by boiling in a water bath for 8 minutes, and then allow drying naturally on a clean towel. (Sterilization is not needed if storing jam in the fridge and planning to consume in 30 days or freezing.)
Preparing
- Wash kiwi and peel kiwi. Because we will use firm kiwi, scooping is not possible, you'll need to peel it.
- Chop kiwi into small pieces.
- Transfer chopped kiwi, sugar, and lemon juice to a pan.
- Cover and cook kiwi for 15 minutes on medium-low heat until the color of the kiwi changes completely and the kiwi turns soft and mushy.
- Remove lid and when jam turns glossy, blend jam with an immersion blender. Few whizzes here and there will break the flesh. I keep it slightly chunky. You can also use a potato masher.
- Continue to cook for 10 minutes until jam reaches setting point. Keep stirring at intervals and reduce heat towards the end.
- Do a cold plate test on the jam by spreading a teaspoon of jam on a cold plate. If jam holds its shape on the plate without spreading, it is ready.
- Ladle hot jam in a clean dry jar and store in the fridge for 3 weeks or freeze for up to a year. The kiwi jam will be thick and chunky just like store-bought jams.
Variations:
Kiwi Apple Jam: For a better yield you can mix 2 granny smith apples in the same recipe.
Kiwi Pineapple Jam: You can add 1 cup of fresh pineapple juice to the jam for a more tropical flavor. If pineapple juice is already sweetened reduce sugar by ¼ cup.
How to use it?
This kiwi jam can be used in
- tarts, creamy dessert, and ice cream toppings,
- over the pancake,
- french toast,
- in shakes and cocktails,
- make kiwi drinks,
- in shortbreads, and so on.
Recipe FAQs
Yes, Kiwi can be cooked to make kiwi jam or sauces or just preserve for longer duration and even for canning.
Kiwi is rich in pectin and can use as a pectin source in other jams like apples. Firm slightly under ripened kiwi has more pectin than fully ripened mushy kiwi.
Hungry for jams? Try these.
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📖 Recipe
Kiwi Jam
Ingredients
- 2 lbs kiwi
- 2 cups sugar, use 1.5 cup for low sugar jam.
- 2 tablespoon lemon juice
Instructions
- Keep 2 plates in freezer for cold-plate test.
Prepping
- Wash kiwi and peel kiwi.
- Chop kiwi into small pieces. Transfer chopped kiwi, sugar, and lemon juice to a pan.
Cooking
- Cover and cook kiwi for 15 minutes on medium-low heat until the color of kiwi changes completely and the kiwi turns soft and mushy.
- Remove lid and when jam turns glossy, blend jam with an immersion blender. Just 2-3 whizz to break the flesh. If kiwi is very soft you can also mash it with a potato masher.
- Continue to cook for 10 minutes until the jam reaches the setting point. Keep stirring at intervals and reduce heat towards the end.
- To test consistency, do a cold plate test by putting a large drop of jam on a cold plate. Wait for 30 secs to cool. Kiwi Jam should hold its shape on the plate without spreading like water. If the jam is not set continue to cook for another 5 mins. And if it is set then stop cooking. Jam is ready.
- Then ladle the hot jam to clean dry jars keeping only ½ inch space between lid and jam. Place the lid and turn the jar upside down to create a vacuum seal. Store jam in the fridge or freezer. See notes for storage and sterilization instructions.
Notes
- Kiwi Fruit: I'm using fuzzy kiwi for this jam. Use firm and fully ripened firm kiwi that is high in pectin and gels well.
- Low Sugar Jam: I used 2 cups of sugar in this jam which is fairly sweet. Add at least 1 cup so the jam can gel easily. After adding minimum sugar you can taste test and decide if more sugar is needed.
- Lemon Juice: Adjust the taste of kiwi according to what nature has given you. So if your kiwis are very sweet (like gold kiwi) add up to ¼ cup of lemon juice. If your kiwis are tart (like green kiwi) then use only 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.
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