Strawberry Kiwi Christmas Jam

1.5 pounds of kiwi. I used hardy kiwi from my garden (7 pounds this year, wonderful vine, highly recommended). These are small, fuzzless, you eat them peel and all, you could probably use bigger, store bought, less sweet, peeled fuzz kiwi.

1.5 pounds strawberries, green bits cut off.

Cook them in separate pots. add a few tablespoons of lemon juice to each pot. After cooked for awhile, mash with potato masher.

Add 2 cups of sugar to each pot.

Add 1/2 packet of pectin to each (I used the less sugar/no sugar needed variety, but yes I still used sugar, trial and error tells me it is best to use this pectin with 3 cups of sugar than normal pectin with 6 cups (per pound of fruit roughly).

Cook, check taste with spoon.

Prepare jars for canning.

Fill each jar half with kiwi mixture. Then pour in strawberry mixture, trying to keep it on one side of the funnel. You'll end up with two-tone jam.

Top, process in boiling water for 10 minutes (at sealevel) as you would normally for preserving.

Give red & green jam away to people at christmas.

Option 2:

Mix kiwi & strawberry mixtures together, then pour into jar. Won't have the two-tone color, but will be very tasty, I like it as much as I like my raspberry banana rum jam. I did half each way.

Made about 10 jars.

You forgot....

Option 3: Sending a jar to the wonderful forum members (after QC samples it first of course).

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Originally Posted by crashdive123

You forgot....

Option 3: Sending a jar to the wonderful forum members (after QC samples it first of course).

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Dedication. That's what it is. :innocent:

This recipe sounds great and I'm going to try it tomorrow. I'm new to jellies/jams and have a stupid question. I bought my pectin in bulk and was wondering what the equivalent was to one packet?

I've only used the packets. I would imagine that it could vary by manufacturer. Label?

Sorry Crash, but I don't have much for a label. I bought it from a local Amish store that sells bulk goods. I'll have to do some more checking to try to find out how much I need.

Chris,

I'm very interested in the KIWI. Since you live in a northern climate it should do well for me. I assume you are talking about Actinidia arguta? Do you grow it on a trellis? How long does it bear fruit? How long did it take to fruit? I love Kiwi!

Thanks for the recipe. With any luck, I might just make this with my own fruit next year!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dawg69

Sorry Crash, but I don't have much for a label. I bought it from a local Amish store that sells bulk goods. I'll have to do some more checking to try to find out how much I need.

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Check back with the Amish Store where you picked it up. They might be able to help. If they can't help, then (and I know they will vary by brand) pick up a box of the packets, measure one out (teaspon, tablespoon, etc) and use that as your guide.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick

Chris,

I'm very interested in the KIWI. Since you live in a northern climate it should do well for me. I assume you are talking about Actinidia arguta? Do you grow it on a trellis? How long does it bear fruit? How long did it take to fruit? I love Kiwi!

Thanks for the recipe. With any luck, I might just make this with my own fruit next year!!!!

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Ya, the hardy version. There is a hybrid called "Michigan State" I wish a grew, but I didn't know it existed when I planted. Here it is often nailed by a late frost, and that may retard fruiting. the "Michigan State" variety is supposedly hardier than what I got.

Planted in 04, fruited this year for the first time. This was also the first year where it didn't get frosted though, so it may have fruited sooner.

Beautiful foliage, ridiculously vigorous vine, must be pruned heavily, can prune like you would a grape. Fruits the same as a grape (as far as on what part of the vine, etc, so a guide on pruning grapes for fruiting would apply)

Vine climbs by twisting, spiraling, no tendrils or suckers.

I grow it along a fence, it'd be MUCH better on a proper T bar trellis if you have the space. Full sun.

No pest or disease problems I've noticed, except sometimes japanese beetles, but those are easily controlled with a trap.


Commercial pectin packets are 1.75 oz, the chances of your amish stuff being the same though is about nil. You may require some trial and error.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dawg69

This recipe sounds great and I'm going to try it tomorrow. I'm new to jellies/jams and have a stupid question. I bought my pectin in bulk and was wondering what the equivalent was to one packet?

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dawg69,I did this too,and I simply weighed it out like crash suggested,buying it his way is much cheaper in the long run than buying boxes at the grocery.lasts FOREVER if your house doesn't burn down:blushing:

I put out a Japanese beetle trap one year. The pheromone kind. Every Japanese beetle within 60 kilometers was in my backyard trying to mate with that blasted trap. That was the last year I did that.

Rick - you already know this from experience, but the trick for any insect attractant is to put it where you don't want the insects. I get lots of business for fire ants in the home where the previous service provider used attractants inside the home. They work - attracted them all.

It was kind of funny for a day or two. It looked like one of those goofy TV shows where someone walks out and the arms start flyin' trying to keep them off of you. Even the dog was shaky after a trip or two outside. I don't know how many actually mated with the trap but there were a lot of them on the fence smokin' cigarettes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Rick

I put out a Japanese beetle trap one year. The pheromone kind. Every Japanese beetle within 60 kilometers was in my backyard trying to mate with that blasted trap. That was the last year I did that.

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Ya, it is amazing how well it works huh? But the trick is to not put it in your garden, but downwind, ideally, from it,

If you use it right they should all crawl into the bag and die, I used to have a beetle problem, trapped for 2 years, now I hardly ever see them (I also do anti grub stuff).

The ones I do see, thank god they're slow and stupid, I usually just hand kill them.

Rick I got Park's catalog and they have the Michigan State variety I mentioned

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ead.php?t=6557