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Loquat Jam
April 13, 2026
A simple loquat jam with lemon and cardamom—great on toast or as a gift.
This version follows the proportions and spirit of Hilda Sterner’s loquat jam on Hilda’s Kitchen Blog—cardamom balances loquats’ sweet-tart edge, and the fruit’s natural pectin sets the jam without commercial pectin. For step-by-step photos, pro tips (including handling stained fingers from the seeds), and reader notes, open the original recipe at the link above.
Loquat Jam
Adapted from Hilda Sterner’s loquat jam on Hilda’s Kitchen Blog—loquats are naturally high in pectin, so no added pectin is required.
Prep: 30MCook: 35MServes: 4 (8 oz) jars
Ingredients
- 8 cups ripe loquats, seeded and quartered (peel on or off—see notes)
- 4 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tbsp lemon juice (fresh or bottled)
- ½ tsp ground cardamom (cinnamon or vanilla also work)
Method
- Wash loquats, trim the blossom end, and cut in half or quarters. Discard the seeds (and the inner seed membrane if you like; many cooks leave it). You need about 8 cups prepared fruit.
- Put the prepared loquats in a large heavy pot (e.g. a 6-quart Dutch oven). Cover with the sugar and let sit about 30 minutes so the fruit releases juice and the sugar dissolves.
- Stir in lemon juice and cardamom. Bring slowly to a boil, then simmer over low to medium heat, stirring often, about 35–40 minutes, until the color deepens to amber and the jam thickens.
- For a smoother jam, purée with an immersion blender after the mixture has cooled ~30 minutes (keep the blender submerged to avoid splatter), or leave it chunky.
- Ladle hot jam into clean jars. If you are canning, use proper headspace and process in a boiling water bath; follow a trusted canning guide or the [full instructions on Hilda’s Kitchen Blog](https://hildaskitchenblog.com/recipe/loquat-jam-recipes/#recipe).