What to do with loquats?

Hey hotline experts,

I live in Charleston, SC and have recently discovered loquats -- though I have no clue what to do with them. I'd love some way to preserve this fruit: jams? chutneys? Would they be good baked into a cake? Turned into applesaucey paste? A pie? I'd love your tips!

Catherine Lamb
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6 Comments

Smaug March 10, 2016
They really should be eaten right off the tree; they degrade really fast once picked. One of the produce stores in my area used to sell them with big hunks of branches still attached; that helped.
 
Jan W. March 10, 2016
Loquats/Nísperos/Nêsperas are probably one of my favorite fruits of all time - I'm not sure about the ones you can find in the USA, but in Spain/Portugal they are usually incredibly juicy, sweet/tart, and quite easy to peel. I never really considered making preserves with them because they're usually gone in a day unless I buy a big carton at the market, but I would think they would do nicely in sorbet or even ice cream/gelato. Tarts would be a good idea, or I would just poach in syrup with some vanilla. I would also suggest just peeling them and wrap in prosciutto!

Like the others said do remove the the
 
Jan W. March 10, 2016
seeds before processing.
 
Ben M. March 10, 2016
I think if you have enough like 5 to 6 lbs you can make several jars of jam/jelly. You should wash them and remove the seeds as they are toxic. Here is a link that has several recipes. http://ucanr.edu/sites/fresnonutrition/files/14353.pdf
 
702551 March 10, 2016
Eaten fresh (often in a fruit salad), jams/chutneys, and pies are all pretty common North American ways of consuming loquats.

Probably best to search the Internet, this site only has three recipes. Good luck.
 
Ali S. March 10, 2016
Loquats are my favorite fruit! You're so lucky to have found some—I've only found em in my grandma's yard. Because they require some time to peel and don't give you much fruit, I always just eat them straight up.
 
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