Citrus-Spiced Loquats

Any other time of year loquats are commonly mistaken for magnolias with their sturdy, broad leaves, but as June and July come around the bunches of golden fruit make this tree unmistakable. Loquats are hardy and grow in many areas of the world, but are found most commonly in the warmer areas of the U.S. (Geek out on loquats here.)

They are in full force in the East Bay, and by August branches are getting heavy.

Since loquats veer more towards the sour cherry end of the flavor scale, and also because of their low profile in American palates, they are often left to rot or fall off the tree. When I spot trees on public land (not in parks, mind) or heavy branches over-hanging the sidwalk I break out my fold-out bag and collect some.

Most varieties aren’t cultivated for their fruit, so the sizes and skin-thicknesses vary, but the skin is edible. It can be laborious to prepare the loquats for cooking, and there’s a relatively low yield per fruit, but I bet a cherry-pitter would do the trick had I such a device.

I don’t mind the downsides – the flavor is a real treat and they are one of the most readily-accessible foraging fruit in the Bay Area, and probably in parts of Florida where loquats are equally as popular for landscaping.

The expanse behind my mother’s house is full of loquats, so I’m up to my knees. I’ve made loquat preserves and chutney a few times – and I’ve even roasted a chicken with them, similar to the prune or plum chicken I grew up on. As the more obvious uses dry up I feel my creativity congealing like a reducing sauce I get my best ideas, like these spiced loquats.

I know they don’t sound particularly summer-y, but they’ll be amazing as a winter gloog garnish, or sooner, chopped into a chicken salad instead of grapes. To sweeten things up I used local honey and to give a more delicious acid I used some unidentified citrus I was gifted. I think two of them are calamondins, and the others old lemons.

When our friends Those Darlins came to visit I made them ice cream sundaes with these loquats and some blackberries from outside. Mmm. Their show at Bottom of the Hill was bold, brave, and bitchin’. Catch them on the rest of their West Coast tour!

What I love about loquats is their distinct flavor and the low sugar. They help me enjoy apricot season even more because they are in season at similar times and look alike but taste so unique. (Its a great way to surprise your friends, if only they were in season for April Fool’s Day I would put a bowl out and giggle as they were mistaken.)

Spiced Loquats

1 2/3 pounds loquat fruit (after pitting loquats and plums if you use them, there should be 1 pound of ready-to-go fruit)

1/3 pound yellow plums (I used Riene-Claudes, you can skip this and use 2 pounds loquats)

juice and skin of one lemon

2 more lemons, sliced (I used the calamondin-like ones mentioned above)

1 cup water

2 cardemon pods

1 stick cinnamon

2 thick slices of peeled fresh ginger

8 tablespoons honey, I used buckwheat

Boil water in pan and add fruit and ginger. Add the lemon skin, juice, and slices and stir. Reduce to simmer and stir while cooking until the mixture becomes fragrant, but the loquat segments haven’t lost their shape. Add the cardemon pods, the cinnamon stick, and the honey, stir and cover with lid.

Let it sit overnight on the stove top, covered.

In the morning, remove the stick and pods and citrus rinds. Use some like stewed fruit over oatmeal or polenta and process the rest in sterilized jars in a water bath for 12 minutes.