Canning Kiwi Spiced Tea Jam

If you have been reading this site last year I got the "hip" idea to infuse flavored teas that I have found at our local tea store into my jams and preserves. I found that some of the teas really improved the intense flavors of the fruit and other gave them a deeper richer flavor. 

Since I needed to put up another batch of the Kiwi Pineapple Jam for an upcoming competition I chopped all the Kiwifruit and decided that I had another 3 cups to create something different. In the pantry was an Indian Spice tea which when paired last year with black plums was one of the best jams of the season. I wanted to come away from the pineapple flavor and using the tea with lemon juice it gave me the flavor and acid needed to create a really different but paradise of a jam.

I again slow cooked this fruit to see if I could draw out most of the air to get the Kiwi more evenly throughout the jar without it all floating to the top. As I took the spatula to remove the final air in the jar the jam was starting to set a bit and the thickness of the jam forced the fruit to stay down. The jars looked the best I have been able to get with Kiwi thus far. It was an interesting idea of letting the jam sit for a few minutes to set.

Here is the recipe:

Kiwi Spiced Tea Jam

3 cups Kiwifruit, chopped

2 T.  Indian spice tea (your choice)
2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup bottled lemon juice

1 cup sugar

3 T. Ball Flex pectin no sugar/low sugar

Steep tea in the boiling water and set aside. In a small dutch oven or stainless steel pot add the kiwi and heat to a simmer. Add the tea liquid discarding the leaves. Continue to simmer for an additional 20 minutes. Add the sugar and lemon juice. Bring mixture to a boil and then add the pectin and return to a full boil for 1 minute. Skim foam if necessary.

Using sterilized jars ladle the recipe into 4 half pint jars, remove air bubbles and refill to 1/4" headspace. Using a wet paper towel clean rims, add heated lids and add rings. Process in the water bath at a full boil for 10 minutes. Turn off heat, wait five minutes and remove jars and set on dish towel on the counter overnight. The next day label your jars and remove rings for storage.