Music and Cats

Last October, thanks to Viv, I finally found a kiwi I could love. No, not a New Zealander, but the hardy kiwi, a small, smooth-skinned green fruit that is everything its larger, fuzzier cousin promises, but rarely seems to deliver. After my first taste, I bought several pints of the tender fruits. I intended to preserve some of them, but instead I found myself eating a pint a day until, sadly, they were all gone.

This year, in late September, I began looking for Green Water Farm’s stall at the U-District market. At the first market in October, I asked at the information booth, where a smiling young women told me that Dennis would be there, eventually, just as soon as his kiwis ripened. Finally, on a Saturday in late October, I spotted stacks of clear plastic boxes filled with olive-sized fruits, their green skins blushed with pink.

I bought five pints. This year, I didn’t give myself time to eat them all. When I arrived home from the market, I set out knife and cutting board, colander and kitchen scale. I washed my hands, turned the radio up, and started this preserves.

Hardy Kiwi and Lemon Preserves
based on recipes from Christine Ferber and Jeanne Lesem

2 pounds hardy kiwis
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 lemon, preferably organic
2 cups sugar

Cut kiwis in quarters, longways, removing the stem and core from either end. Layer kiwi quarters in a bowl with 1 1/2 cups of the sugar, and let stand for a couple of hours, until the sugar has dissolved. Turn the kiwis and sugar into a pan, and bring the mixture to a boil. Remove from heat, stir in the lemon juice. Return the mixture to a bowl, cover with parchment, and refrigerate overnight.

Slice the lemon into very thin rounds. I prefer not to have entire rings of lemon peel in preserves, so I cut the lemon slices into quarters. In a small saucepan, combine the lemon, the remaining 1/2 cup of sugar, and enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer 25-30 minutes, until the lemon is tender and translucent. The lemon can be prepared at the same time as the kiwis, or just prior to the next step.

In a large pan, combine the kiwi and lemon mixtures. Bring to a boil, and boil seriously for about 15 minutes. Stir more frequently towards the end of the cooking time, lest your jam stick.

Ladle the jam into sterilized jars, top each with a lid and ring, and process in a boiling water bath (10 minutes for half-pints). After removing the jars from the water, listen for those happy ploinking sounds that indicate the lids have sealed. If a lid don’t ploink, the jar ain’t sealed; refrigerate it, and consume happily in the next couple of weeks.

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