A classic mango jam always sounds good in my book. Who doesn’t like mangoes? Having them year-round is truly a luxury that not many can enjoy, but this jam allows you to do just that.
A Classic Mango Jam Is An Easy and Versatile Treat
Bring some mango into your life!
If you are like me, you buy mangoes in bulk. I do this mostly because my family loves to eat them any time of the day. Sometimes though, I can see them going bad and I hate to waste food. That’s when this classic mango jam pops into my mind, and now, I want you to have it in mind too.
I use about two pounds of ripe mangoes, but you can use less or more. If for some reason you can’t use mangoes, it is good to have a similar fruit handy. Some good ideas that come to mind are peaches, papaya, or cantaloupe.
To cook this jam, I use white sugar, but any sweetener can work. Other options are caster sugar, brown sugar, honey, or maple syrup.
First, I add the mango and water to a deep pan and cook until the water boils and the mango softens. Once soft, it is much easier to peel and seed the mangoes.
Place the pulp in a bowl, and mash it well. In the meantime, I boil water and sugar until the temperature reaches 220 degrees F. When it’s hot, I add my mango pulp and as an extra touch, I also add saffron threads. This last ingredient is optional, but I highly recommend that you use it, if available.
Finally, I cook for an extra 5 minutes or until the jam is thick. All that is left to do is place the jam in the jars, process them, and let them cool down.
Overall, it takes under an hour to make this recipe. However, this classic mango jam will keep for a while, if stored properly. I leave mine in the fridge so it is cold when I eat it in the morning.
Enjoy this jam with some ice cream, over a croissant, or as a base for a chicken tamarind sauce.
Classic Mango Jam
Ingredients
2 lb ripe mangoes
1 1/2 cups (192 g) white sugar
3/4 cup (180 ml) water
- Optional
3 saffron threads
Directions
- Using a pot or saucepan, add mango and enough water to cover fruit.
- Boil mango until it’s soft.
- Peel mangoes, remove seed, mash pulp well in a bowl.
- Mix sugar with 3/4 cup (180 ml) of water.
- Bring to boil until temperature reaches 220 F (104 C).
- Stir in the mango pulp and saffron threads.
- Cook for 5 minutes on medium-low heat until the mixture is thick, stirring frequently to prevent burning.
- Prepare water-bath canner.
- Simmer jars until ready for use.
- Wash lids and rings with warm soapy water then set aside.
- Ladle jam into sterilized jars, leave 1/4 inch (6 mm) headspace.
- Remove trapped air bubbles by running a spatula around the inside of the jar.
- Wipe jar rim with a clean damp cloth.
- Apply lid and ring, adjust to fingertip-tightness.
- Process jars for 20 minutes (Adjust for altitude).
- Turn heat off, let jars sit for 5 minutes to settle.
- Remove jars and allow to cool for 24 hours. Don’t place on a cold surface or where there’s a cool draft as jars may crack.
- After 24 hours, test the seal on lids by pressing down on the center, it shouldn’t wiggle and must feel nice and solid.
- Any unsealed jars must be stored in the refrigerator and consumed first.