Dragon Fruit (Pitaya) Jam

Processing: Boiling Water Canner 10 minutes
Storage: 12 months+
Yield: 6 cups per batch
        
Exotic dragonfruit transformed into a gorgeous, delicately perfumed jam.
               
Ingredients:
2lbs (900g) dragon fruit (pitaya)

1lb (450g) granny smith apples

3/4 cup water

6 tablespoons powdered pectin

4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon bottled lemon juice
  

Simmer fruit.
Wash dragon fruit then cut in half. Scoop out flesh, discarding the skin. Dice dragon fruit flesh and place in a large pot. Wash, peel, core and dice apples, placing in the same pot with the water. Bring to a boil then simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes or until fruit is very soft. Puree.
     
Prepare jars.
Cover jars with water and bring to a boil, boiling for 10 minutes. Once the time is up, turn the heat off and leave jars in the hot water until ready to fill.
   
Make jam.
Whisk pectin into fruit puree. Bring to a full boil, then add the sugar all at once. Bring to a rolling boil (creates lots of foam and a boil that cannot be stirred down) and boil for 1 minute. Turn the heat off and whisk in the lemon juice. Cool for a minute then remove foam from the surface (if any).
       
Prepare lids.
Place lids into a bowl of boiled water. Remove the lids from the water when you are ready to place them onto the jars to seal.
  
Ladle hot jam into hot jars.
Immediately spoon the hot jam into hot jars, leaving a 1/4 inch (0.5cm) headspace. Remove bubbles, check headspace is correct, then wipe rims with damp paper towel and seal.
  
Process jars in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes.
Process in a boiling water bath canner for 10 minutes (start timer once water returns to a full boil). When time is up, turn heat off and rest jars in water for 5 minutes before placing onto a towel-covered bench overnight to cool.
  
Next day: check for seals.
Check jars have sealed before labelling and storing in a cool, dry and dark place for up to 12 months. Jar lids should not flex up or down when pressed.
   
TIPS

• If using the white fleshed dragon fruit, you can add a few drops of pink colouring.

  
STEP-BY-STEP PHOTOGRAPHS HERE