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Jul 25, 2011

Golden Passionfruit Jam






Such a lot of fruit out there these couple of months. So many varieties, so many choices. Imported and local. They all look so gorgeous, so tempting. I keep buying and then find out there's no space in my fridge ... sigh.


I mentioned about our homegrown strawberries in the earlier strawberry jam post and how amazing they turned out these days ... big, red and juicy ... good stuff.

Well, on Sunday, I visited our pasar malam (literally translated: night market. Check this out : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasar_malam) and found some gorgeous homegrown golden passionfruits, also known as yellow passionfruits and also known as Lilikoi in Hawaiian. There were also the usual purple ones but these yellows were giving out the most beautiful, sensual fragrance ... I couldn't resist. (Apparently, the purple ones are supposed to be more fragrant and the yellow ones are the juicier but I guess the purples weren't ripe enough to seduce my senses). They aren't the prettiest looking fruits when ripe.

What I wanted to make with them, I had no idea at the time. I brought them home, stared at them for awhile, then decided I should turn them into something that will keep until I have some idea what I need to use them for. See, once you open up the fruit, the pulp and seeds don't keep too well. So, jam it is.

You may wonder why we use the pulp from under the skin. Reason being, there's tons of pectin in them! But don't overdo the amount since it does have a slight bitterness that may overpower the lovely passiony-fruity flavors :D

Oh, and if you should decide to blend the pulpy-seedy stuff, you may want to use a good blender and blade otherwise you will get some very sharp bits of seeds ... not nice. I leave them be ... nice crunch.


INGREDIENTS


10 passionfruits

juice of 1/2 lemon

2 cups sugar



METHOD


Wash the passionfruits.

Halve and scoop out the pulpy seeds. Put aside in the fridge.

Put half the quantity of the shells in a pot and fill with enough water to just cover the tops. Boil for about 30 - 40 mins or until it turns translucent and soft.

Drain & cool for easier handling. Save 1 cup of boiled liquid.

When cooled, scoop out the inner flesh and discard the papery skins.

Pulse in a food processor or blender until a smooth puree.

Add to reserved seeds together with the lemon juice, reserved liquid and sugar in a deep stainless steel pot.

Stir over medium heat until all the sugar has dissolved. Then bring to a boil.

Set timer to 15 mins and allow to boil slowly without stirring too much except for the occasional scrape or two with a wooden spoon to make sure it doesn't stick to the bottom and burn.

Skim scum. (Say that quickly 5 times :D)

Turn off heat and cool for 15 - 20 mins before ladling into clean, sterilized jars.


* Great as plain ol' jam with toast or use as a filling for pastry or a topping for cheesecakes, ice creams .... go crazy!





38 comments:

  1. What a gorgeous jam! Lucky you having passionfruit available at your market~

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  2. When I am in KL I really enjoy visiting the pasar malam at Chinatown - fantastic atmosphere and good food. Brings back great memories, unfortunately passion fruit does not! When I was small I once ate too much and you know the rest of the story. I could not stand the smell for many years and I haven't eaten this in a very long while...

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  3. Mmmmm,never had passion fruit jam before. I bet that's lovely. Great photo, too by the way. Looks really tempting. :)

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  4. Nice - I can only imagine the incredible smell of this jam! Looks beautiful too. I tried a... hmm, I'm not sure of the name, but it's in the passion-fruit family. It has a hard (I mean, not tough like regular passion fruit but actually hard, which cracks like an egg) outer shell which you need to break open. It's a bit more mild than other passion fruits - I love trying new fruits... I still want to give durian a try one day :p

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  5. Oh this is summer in a jar! What a lovely jam! Wish my passion fruits look as great as yours!

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  6. Hmnn!looks good. I love homemade jams!
    Have a great "jamming"week!

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  7. Ping-your passionfruit jam would put the "passion" back to anybody's life if they're not passionate enough. It is truly golden, and so beautiful. I can only imagine how delicious it is spread on toast, or english muffins.
    Never had passionfruit jam in my life...especially homemade. You can actually go into the "jam" business, making them so perfect!
    I had a good laugh about your funny comment on my blog. True incident w/ the pink backpback lady...so bizarre...lol

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  8. I love passionfruit juice so I'm sure I'd like this jam. I am intrigued to see how the crunchy seeds would be. It sure looks delicious. I'd love to take a few of your jarred recipes and put together a gift for a relative this Christmas.

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  9. Lizzy: Oooo, heyyy ... I like the new pic! Have always loved b&w photos. Yes, we get lots more varieties of fruits these days ... some I've never even seen before!

    3Cookies: Haha! You didn't eat them raw/fresh, did you? Some fruits affect you that way when eaten fresh. Works better when cooked or processed. Maybe you can give it another go? Be brave! :D

    Julia: Thanks, Julia. If you like the fruit or the flavor, this is good!

    Charles: A hard shell? Hmm ... I can't imagine what that is. And durians?! Boy, you're brave! I wouldn't touch them with a 10-foot pole!

    Lilly: Hi! Thanks much! I guess they're nice and bright coz they're nice and ripe :D I opened some that aren't wrinkly enough and the pulp weren't as yellow.

    Margarita: Hello! Haha, thanks!

    Elisabeth: Oooo ... you really think so? Maybe I could do this for valentine's day then :D Hahaha!... your pink backpack story cracked me up as well. Sounded like there was better fun inside than outside the premises!

    Pretend Chef: Hi Rochelle. If you've had passion fruit topping, I guess it would be almost the same with the jam except maybe less gooey.... same kinda crunch as well. Great idea, putting together all those jars as a gift.

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  10. This jam is like me, beautiful color, which evokes the sun.

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  11. I have not seen these golden passion fruit put i am sure I can use the same process to make it with the available kind. This looks really goood

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  12. Kati: Thank you :D

    Culinary Lens: Thanks! This is the first time I've used them too and I'm not disappointed at all!

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  13. Wow... That passion fruit jam is just gorgeous, Ping. So beautiful... I have never seen passion fruit that color before! Lovely... Great post! :)

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  14. I never know about the pectin bit. That's a handy fact. I guess now I understand why it's rather sticky when I used to play with passionfruit skin when I was a little boy. And now I can explain to mum scientifically that it was the passionfruit's fault I got sticky stuff all over my school uniform.
    I wonder if your jam would match a nice melted cheddar on toast.... hmmm..

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  15. We get both the purple skinned and golden skinned passionfruit here - and I love them both! I love the sound of your jam.

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  16. The Harried Cook: Thank you very much!

    PFx: Hi Pierre. Ya, sure, blame the fruit and not those itchy fingers :D Passionfruit jam with cheddar cheese ... this can either go real bad or real good. If you get a tummy ache, blame the itchy fingers.

    All That's Left are the Crumbs: That's great! Either one works just as well. I was just curious about these.

    S.V.: Thanks! =D

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  17. Your jam looks so seducing! I am intrigued by this yellow passion fruit... If I ever saw it I'd buy it instantly, since I love discovering new fruits and, like Charles, I would love to taste durian one day.
    Passion fruit sauce is the most elegant addition I can imagine for ice-cream and soft desserts. Unfortunately, passion fruits are so expensive here I would never dream of transforming them into jams or sauces. But who knows, maybe one day? I remember when I saw one day before Christmas litchis sold for almost nothing in a supermarket (they have probably ordered too much). I bought one kilo, finished it in one night and got some weird rash ;-) It was really too much for someone who eats litchi maybe twice a year...

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  18. Hi Sissi. I got seduced by it too! And like Charles, you're very brave, altho I've met many foreigners who have acquired a taste for them and actually love them. I can't imagine why I've never been able to get to even the basest level of tolerance.
    Awww, so sad to hear that passionfruit is expensive where you are. It used to be that way for us as well when it was solely imported. Luckily our local highland folks found a way to grow some otherwise I doubt I'd be buying any never mind 10 of them.
    Oh, a small tip before you eat more litchis ... my mum always insists that i soak the fruit (shells intact) in salty water for a bit. Your rash was probably caused by the chemicals they used to keep them from turning bad too quickly during shipment. I don't know how true this is (LOL) but then I've never eaten 1 whole kilo by myself in 1 go!

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  19. Maracuja!!!!!!!!!! (That's passionfruit in Portuguese :D)... I just made passionfruit bbq sauce!!!!

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  20. Tiffany: That's great! I learnt a new word, thanks :D And a super idea using it as part of a sauce or marinade. Now why didn't I think of that? My husband's pretty excited about it. Guess what we're gonna have for tomorrow?

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  21. Ping, thank you for the advice! I have also suspected the chemicals to keep them from turning bad... I would have never thought of soaking the fruit!
    I sometimes feel like a child and when I see a cheap fruit, usually very expensive, and eating a kilo doesn't seem difficult ;-)

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  22. Ping, I am not a big fan of passion fruit but I love the golden color of the jam. Looks very inviting. I will try to make this when I see passion fruits next, maybe I might like the jam.

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  23. Sissi: I know what you mean ... I'm the same! =P

    Quay Po Cooks: Thanks! Do try it, who knows, you might get a change of heart ... or rather, tastebuds :D

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  24. Ping you have such a beautiful eye for composition and lighting. I always love seeing what beautiful treat you have created.

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  25. Awww ... thanks Kita. That's very encouraging indeed. =D

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  26. Passionfruit jam sounds wonderful Ping! I would love to try some, it would be much more exciting than the berry varieties I always have ;)!

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  27. Hi Amy! Yup, it's a change for sure. I love the seeds in it ... adds a nice crunch.

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  28. My passionfruit tree has lots of fruit this year and I have been looking for recipes for them. This jam should be good for the topping of a tart and wow for ice-cream, too.

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  29. Veronica's Kitchen: Wow! You're so lucky to have your own passionfruit tree. Yeah, I just made some ice cream with it ... posting it soon. All the yummy possibilities with just a simple jam.

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  30. Luckily, passionfruit grows where I live. And the jam looks gorgeous and sounds delicious.

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  31. Oh I am toooo jealous! Would kill to have fresh passionfruit with those beautiful seeds.

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  32. Xiaolu: Hmmm ... I thought it would be easier to find fresh passionfruits over where you are.

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  33. Hah! You getting your hands on blackberries is like me getting my hands on passionfruit! This looks amazing, Ping. Just so beautiful.

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  34. Daily Dish: Haha! I guess so. Looks like we'll just have to salivate at each other's posts LOL!

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