Loquats, just ripe and not mushy, are washed, de-seeded and cut into small pieces. Wear gloves as loquats WILL stain your fingers. I determined weight after chopping, so start with at least 3 lbs of loquats or feel free to add chopped apricots or figs (yum!) to equal weight required. The recipe is marvelously flexible as to the fruit. If loquats are not available, this recipe works well with all apricots although you’ll find mixing fruits quite interesting.

Put all the ingredients in a large open pot and bring to a boil. Cook gently until soft and thick, about 1 to 1-1/2 hours, stirring regularly towards the end to prevent the chutney from sticking or burning. Using 4 to 8 oz jars with a 1/4 inch headspace, process sealed jars for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Remove the jars from bath and let cool in a draft-free place overnight. Store in a cool dark place for 9 months, although the jars rarely last that long in our house.