Kiwi in Syrup
Kiwi is very high in fibre. According to California Kiwifruit (kiwifruit.org), two kiwis contain more fibre than a bowl of bran cereal. A serving of kiwi also contains vitamin C and E, potassium, magnesium, antioxidants and many other important nutritional benefits. Canned kiwi can make a very nice addition to a winter fruit salad. It also looks great in a frozen ice ring at Christmas, along with some orange slices, grapes and cranberries. When canning kiwi, always select solid, firm-ripe fruit. Discard any damaged fruit. Kiwi is generally in-season from November until late January. This is when they would be at their best price. It’s also a great time to can kiwi. The busiest canning season is over and there is some time to slow down, particularly in January when the holiday season is also over. I like to can kiwi and citrus fruits in January. These fruits bring a bit of brightness and colour to an otherwise cold and dreary time of year.
Kiwis in Syrup
Yield 7x 250 ml jars
Ingredients
12 – 15 ripe kiwi
2 cups water
1 cup sugar
7 tsp lemon juice
Directions
Place water in boiling water canner. Heat to a simmer. Place 7 clean, warm 125 ml mason jars on a rack in canner. Cover with simmering water. Place SNAP LIDS® in a bowl full of warm water. Keep both jars and lids warm until ready to use.
Peel kiwi. Leave whole, cut into slices or 1 inch chunks, reserve fruit and any juice that may be present. Do not slice too thin as the fruit may disintegrate in the heating process.
To make the syrup, heat water and sugar to a gentle boil. Keep warm until ready to use.
Pack fruit and any fruit juice into hot jars to within 1 inch of the top of the rim. Add 1 tsp lemon juice. Fill jars one at a time, cover with syrup to within ½ inch of top of rim. Remove air bubbles and re-adjust headspace. Wipe jar rim. Place SNAP LID® and screw band on jar. Tighten until fingertip tight. Place in canner on rack. Repeat until all jars are full.
Add enough hot water to the canner to ensure jars are covered by 1 inch of water. Place lid on canner. Bring to a full rolling boil. Boil 10 minutes (adjusting for altitude). Turn off heat. Remove lid and wait 5 minutes. Remove jars with a jar lifter, without tilting, to a protected countertop.
Cool upright 24 hours. After cool, check that the jars are sealed. Sealed jar lids curve downward. Clean, dry and label with contents and date.
TIP: Fruit-to-syrup ratio is not an exact science. You may be short or over on the syrup. If you need more syrup, make more. If you have more than you need, try using it in your homemade lemonade.
TIP: Sweetness is an individual thing. If you prefer less sugar, experiment; add less sugar and more water. There should always be some sugar added but it can be as little as 1/10th sugar to 1 water ratio.
*Altitude adjustment for boiling water method
Altitude in feet Increase processing time by
1001 to 3000 5 minutes
3001 to 6000 10 minutes
6001 to 8000 15 minutes
8001 to 10000 20 minutes
