Top 15 Easiest Fruit Preserves to Welcome Tet

1. Kiwi Preserves

*Ingredients:

• 1kg fresh kiwi
• 500g sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 cup concentrated pandan leaf juice
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon tartaric acid
• Fresh lime

*Instructions:

• Step 1: First, dissolve lime powder in 2 liters of water and let it settle, then drain the water. Peel the kiwi, slice into 0.7cm thick pieces. Soak the kiwi in lime water for 6 to 8 hours or overnight.
• Step 2: After soaking overnight, remove the kiwi from the lime water, rinse thoroughly under tap water. Boil the tartaric acid with about 1 liter of water. Then immerse the kiwi in the boiling water for about 10 minutes. Then remove the kiwi and place them on a rack to drain.
• Step 3: Squeeze pandan leaves to extract green-colored juice to soak with kiwi until it becomes beautiful natural green preserves. Soak the pandan leaf juice with sugar and kiwi for another 8 hours (making kiwi preserves requires time and patience, but in return, you will have juicy green preserves).
• Step 4: Boil sugar with ½ teaspoon salt and 50ml of cold water, stirring gently until the sugar dissolves. After the sugar dissolves, cook for about 5 minutes, then add lime juice and kiwi, stir gently.
• Step 5: Cook for about 20 minutes for the kiwi to absorb the sugar, then turn off the heat, remove the kiwi and continue cooking the remaining syrup until it thickens. Then pour the kiwi back in and simmer until the syrup gradually thickens, the kiwi turns into a beautiful green color. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove the kiwi and place them on a rack for about 5 hours to dry before storing in jars. You can also place the kiwi on a tray and microwave to dry them.

2. Carrot Preserve

* Ingredients:

• 500g carrots
• 1 small squeezed orange for juice
• 300g white sugar
• Lime water

* Instructions:

• Peel and slice carrots into strips or pieces (slightly thicker is better).
• Soak carrots in lime water (about 3-4 hours, over-soaking will make carrots too hard).
• Remove carrots, rinse thoroughly with water, then blanch in boiling water to remove lime flavor and reduce odor.
• Marinate carrots with sugar (about 30 minutes - 1 hour for sugar to dissolve and penetrate the carrots).
• Cook the preserve (stir gently), using low heat.
• When the sugar syrup starts to thicken, reduce the heat to the lowest setting, cook until the sugar crystallizes evenly around the carrot strands, then turn off the heat, stir for a few more minutes until the sugar coats evenly and the preserve becomes drier.
• Let cool, store in a sealed jar for preservation.

There you have it, you've completed the carrot preserve, it's that simple.

3. Lotus Seed Preserve

* Ingredients:

• 500g fresh lotus seeds
• 300g rock sugar
• 1 teaspoon powdered vanilla (can be substituted with grapefruit essence)
• A pinch of salt

* Instructions:

• First, soak the fresh lotus seeds to remove all the bitterness, if using pre-soaked lotus seeds, skip this step, then rinse them and drain the water. If using dried lotus seeds, soak them in water for about 4 hours to soften.
• Grind the rock sugar in a blender until it becomes fine powder, if using white sugar, grinding is not necessary. However, using rock sugar for lotus seed preserve will result in a mildly sweet product, unlike white sugar which can be overly sweet. This will make the preserve very delicious without being overly sweet.
• Boil water in a pot, add a little salt, then add the lotus seeds and cook until they are just tender, then immediately remove them and soak in cold water for 10 minutes to cool. Note: Do not overcook the lotus seeds, as they will easily break apart when making the preserve. Dried lotus seeds need longer boiling time than fresh ones.
• Once the lotus seeds are cool, remove them and drain the water, then put them in a bowl, add the finely ground rock sugar and mix well until the sugar is completely dissolved. Marinate the lotus seeds for about 2-3 hours before making the preserve. The lotus seeds will turn translucent after soaking in the sugar.
• Pour the lotus seeds and sugar syrup into a pan and cook over low heat, occasionally stirring gently to allow the lotus seeds to absorb the sugar evenly. Using rock sugar will result in less syrup compared to using white sugar, so the cooking time will be shorter.
• Continue cooking over low heat until the sugar syrup thickens, then turn off the heat. Stir for a few more minutes until the sugar coats evenly and the preserve becomes drier.

4. Pumpkin Preserve

* Ingredients:

• 2kg mature pumpkins
• About 2 liters of slaked lime solution
• Tartaric acid
• Food coloring (optional)
• About 1 to 1.5 kg white sugar (depending on preference)
  

* Instructions:

• Peel and remove the seeds and fibers from the pumpkins, then cut the pumpkin flesh into mouth-sized pieces (each about 5 - 7 cm long).
• Soak the pumpkin in the slaked lime solution for about 7-8 hours or overnight for best results.
• Remove the pumpkin, wash it thoroughly with water several times, and then drain.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, then blanch the pumpkin for about 3-5 minutes. Remove the pumpkin and rinse with cold water, then drain.
• Marinate the pumpkin with white sugar for 4-5 hours until the sugar is completely dissolved, occasionally stirring or tossing to allow the pumpkin to absorb the sugar evenly.
• Add food coloring if you want to create color.
• Cook the pumpkin in a non-stick pan over low heat. When the sugar dries and adheres to the pumpkin, turn off the heat and let it cool.

5. Coconut Preserve

* Ingredients:

• 1kg coconut flesh (choose mature coconuts, not too young or too old)
• 500g white sugar
• Fragrant pandan leaves (can be replaced with carrots or food coloring to create color, if you want white coconut preserve, this ingredient is not necessary).

* Instructions:

• Shred the coconut flesh horizontally to make long and thin strands.
• Soak the coconut in warm water (about 1-2 hours to remove some coconut oil, warm water will save you time).
• Remove the coconut and rinse it with clean water about 2-3 times and drain.
• Marinate the coconut with sugar (if you want it creamy, you can add a little condensed milk) for 4-5 hours (overnight is fine). When the sugar is dissolved, the coconut flesh will become translucent.
• Pound pandan leaves or carrots, strain to extract the juice, and add it to the marinated coconut (you can skip this ingredient if you don't want colored coconut).
• Cook the coconut in a non-stick pan (use medium heat, stir evenly, and reduce to low heat when almost done).
• When the sugar dries and sticks to the coconut, turn off the heat to cool and store in a jar for later use.

6. Sweet Potato Preserve

* Ingredients:

• 1kg fresh sweet potatoes.
• 500g white sugar
• Lime water
• Vanilla (you can substitute with cocoa powder, pandan leaf powder...)
  

* Instructions:

• Peel and slice sweet potatoes into chunks or slices like pumpkin preserve.
• Soak sweet potatoes in lime water for about 3 hours.
• Remove sweet potatoes and rinse thoroughly with water to remove lime odor.
• Marinate sweet potatoes with sugar (according to your sweetness preference, note that sweet potatoes already have sweetness). Marinate for about 3-4 hours until the sugar dissolves. Then add vanilla.
• Cook the preserve in a non-stick pan over medium heat until sweet potatoes are dry and sugar sticks to them.
• Turn off the heat, stir a few more times, let cool, and transfer to a jar for later use.
  

7. Ginger Preserve

*Ingredients:

• 500g ginger, choose not too old
• 250g sugar
• Lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt
  

*Instructions:

• Peel and slice ginger (not too thin).
• Soak ginger in diluted salt water and squeeze in the juice of 1 lime.
• Remove ginger and drain.
• Bring a pot of water to boil, squeeze in lime juice, then put ginger in and blanch for 4-5 minutes, then remove ginger and repeat blanching in another pot of water (you can do this 2-3 times to reduce the spiciness of ginger, and you don't need to add lime juice in the subsequent blanchings).
• Remove ginger, rinse with cold water, and drain.
• Marinate ginger with sugar until the sugar dissolves completely.
• Cook in a non-stick pan, keep the heat low, when the sugar is almost dried, reduce the heat to low and stir evenly.
• Turn off the heat, let the preserve cool, then transfer to a jar for later use.
  

8. Kumquat Preserve

* Ingredients:

• Sour kumquats: 1 kg
• Sugar: 1 kg
• Chalk: 2 teaspoons
• Salt: 2 teaspoons

* Instructions:

• Choose plump, ripe, golden kumquats, wash clean, and cut near the stem.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the kumquats into wedges, avoiding deep, long slices as they may break when cooking. Press the kumquats flat to release some of the sour juice. Leave about 5 tablespoons of the juice when cooking.
• Dissolve chalk in water and let it settle. Soak the kumquats for about 8 to 10 hours, then remove and rinse thoroughly with water to remove the chalky taste.
• Marinate the kumquats with golden sugar, using 1 kg of sugar for every 1 kg of kumquats. When the sugar is almost dissolved, put the kumquats in a non-stick pan on the stove to cook.
• At first, cook the kumquats over high heat, then reduce to medium heat after 5 minutes. Let the kumquats boil, occasionally stirring gently.
• When the kumquat peels turn golden and the kumquat juice rises to the top, add 2 teaspoons of white salt and gently stir.
• When the syrup thickens and is nearly reduced, stir evenly and turn off the heat.
• Transfer the kumquats onto a tray and place them in the sun to dry or put them in the oven, setting the lowest temperature to bake for about 1 hour.
• The finished kumquat preserve is soft, sweet, and fragrant.
  

9. Papaya Preserve

* Ingredients:

• 1kg green papaya (choose ripe papaya, not too young or too old)
• Chalk water
• Salt
• Lime juice
• 600g White sugar
• Vanilla extract

* Instructions:

• Peel and julienne the papaya.
• Add a little salt and lime juice to the chalk water. Soak the papaya for about 2-3 hours.
• Remove the papaya and rinse thoroughly with cold water.
• Boil a pot of water and blanch the papaya for 5 minutes to remove the chalky taste.
• Remove the papaya and rinse again with cold water, then drain.
• Marinate the papaya with sugar until the sugar is completely dissolved, then add vanilla extract.
• Cook the preserve in a non-stick pan until the sugar dries and sticks tightly to the papaya. Turn off the heat, let it cool, and store in jars.
  

10. Apple Preserve

Ingredients:

• 700 grams apples
• 250 grams granulated sugar
• 15 ml lemon juice
• A pinch of rice flour

Instructions:

• Step 1: Peel and cut apples into 4 - 5 slices.
• Step 2: Mix apples, sugar, and lemon juice evenly, then let it soak for about 8 - 10 hours until the apples absorb the sugar.
• Step 3: Put the apples in a pan and cook until the apples turn golden brown, then remove from the heat and let the apples dry in the sun or put them in a dehydrator for 6 - 8 hours before transferring to a bag or jar.
• Step 4: Roast the rice flour until golden brown, then let it cool. Sprinkle the rice flour over the apples and shake until the apple slices are coated and not sticking together.

11. Orange Peel Honey Preserve

* Ingredients:

• 500g yellow orange peel (Valencia orange, sweet orange, etc.)
• 300g sugar
• 150g honey
• 2 full teaspoons salt

* Instructions:

• Wash and separate orange peels. Use a knife to slice the orange peel into long pieces about 1cm thick.
• Put the sliced orange peels in a pot, cover with water, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 2 - 5 minutes, then drain the water (repeat this process 2 - 3 times to remove bitterness).
• After boiling, soak the orange peels in diluted saltwater for about 8 - 10 hours, then remove and rinse them several times with cold water. Put the orange peels back in the pot and add sugar and honey.
• Cover the pot and shake well to mix the orange peels, sugar, and honey. Let it soak until the sugar is completely dissolved.
• Place the pot of soaked orange peels on the stove, simmer over low heat, and gently stir with a spoon until the syrup thickens, and the orange peels turn shiny golden yellow, then turn off the heat.
• Remove the orange peels and place them on a wire rack over a tray to catch the dripping syrup. Put them in the oven to dry for about 15 - 20 minutes. If you don't have an oven, you can air-dry the preserves outdoors or refrigerate them until dry.
• Once the orange peel preserves are dry and firm, roll each piece in sugar once to coat, and you have deliciously fragrant and unique orange peel honey preserves.
• Store the orange peel preserves in a tightly sealed glass jar.

* Requirement: Orange peel preserves should be soft, fragrant, and easy to eat.

12. Tomato Preserve

Ingredients:

• Ripe plum tomatoes
• Sugar
• Lime water

Instructions:

• Step 1: Wash the tomatoes and peel off the skins.
• Step 2: Cut each tomato in half without separating them, then soak them in lime water overnight.
• Step 3: Drain the tomatoes and gently squeeze out the seeds. Continue soaking them in lime water.
• Step 4: When the tomatoes become firmer, drain them and rinse with water. Mix the tomatoes evenly with sugar in a 1:1 ratio.
• Step 5: Put the sugar-soaked tomatoes in a hot pan over medium heat.
• Step 6: Stir gently until the sugar crystallizes on the tomatoes, then turn off the heat and let it cool.

13. Passionfruit Preserve

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg passionfruit
• 250 grams sugar
• 1 piece ginger
• 1 teaspoon chili

Instructions:

• Step 1: Clean and wash the passionfruit with salt water. Gently press the passionfruit to soften, then rinse 2 - 3 times with cold water to reduce acidity and drain.
• Step 2: Mix sugar with passionfruit and let it sit for about 3 - 4 hours for the sugar to penetrate the passionfruit.
• Step 3: Transfer the passionfruit to a pan and stir until the sugar dissolves completely, then turn off the heat.
• Step 4: Add ginger and chili to the mixture and stir until the passionfruit turns orange and thickens, then turn off the heat.
• Step 5: Let it cool, then transfer to glass jars for storage.

14. Tamarind Preserve

Ingredients:

• 1kg ripe tamarind
• 800g white granulated sugar
• Salt

Instructions:

• Step 1: Prepare the ingredients: Soak the tamarind in lukewarm water with a little salt for 1 hour. After removing the peel, soak the tamarind in diluted salt water for 3 days. After 3 days, remove the tamarind, use a knife to slit it lengthwise, remove the seeds, and continue soaking the tamarind in clean water for 1 day to reduce the salty taste.
• Step 2: Cook the preserves: To cook the tamarind preserves, first prepare the sugar syrup by stirring it evenly on low heat, so that the amount of syrup covers 2/3 of the tamarind. Add the tamarind to the syrup, continue stirring gently over medium heat, avoiding high heat to prevent the sugar from burning. After 5 - 6 minutes of soaking the tamarind in the syrup, remove the tamarind onto a tray.
• Step 3: Sun-dry and store the preserves: Sun-dry the tray of tamarind preserves, this step helps the sugar syrup penetrate deeply into the tamarind. In the evening, soak the tamarind in the cooked syrup again and sun-dry it the next day. Repeat the process for 2 - 3 days until the tamarind is firm, fully absorbed with sugar, then sun-dry the tamarind to remove excess syrup and pack it tightly.

15. Banana Preserves

Ingredients:

• Green bananas
• Lime juice
• Salt
• Water
• Sugar

Instructions:

• Step 1: Peel and slice the bananas into medium pieces, then soak them in a mixture of salted water and lime juice prepared in advance for 1 hour.
• Step 2: Remove the bananas and rinse them thoroughly with water, then drain.
• Step 3: Fry the bananas in hot oil over medium heat until they turn crispy and golden, then remove and drain excess oil on paper towels.
• Step 4: In another pan, heat sugar and a little water until the sugar melts and forms a syrup.
• Step 5: Then add the fried bananas and gently stir until the syrup thickens and crystallizes around the banana pieces, then turn off the heat and let it cool.