Mango-Vanilla-Jam

 Mango season is finally here. I just love mangoes and use them a lot during season. No matter if I cook curry, grilled meat or a nice dessert.

I can't wait until we can harvest the fruits from the tree at my place. In the meantime I found a great source for organic mangoes. Every year I try to preserve as many mangoes as possible so that I can enjoy their wonderful aroma throughout the year.

A good portion I just peel, cut the fruit off the seed and then store it in my freezer. Out of the rest I cook jams and chutneys. For me jams must be full of fruit and flavour but not sugar. Most jams available in stores are made with a fruit-sugar ratio of 1-1. Sometimes the sugar content is even higher. I cook my jams h a fruit-sugar ratio of 2-1 or 3-1 depending on the fruit and sugar I use. The only drawback of it is that you have to store the jam in the fridge once you opened the jar.

This jam is a combination of 2 of my favourite flavours Mango and Vanilla. It seems that a lot of people around me like this combination as I send every year several jars of it around the globe to family and friends. Making it is very simple.

Before I start I sterilize several glass jars with twist off lids. To sterilize the jars fill a big pot with water. Put in the jars and lids (the lid must be off the jar) and boil the jars in the water for minimum 15minutes. Leave them in the hot water until you use them.

For the jam I take the 2kg of fresh mango pulp. Depending on the variety of mango you use it takes 3-4kg mango to get 2kg of pulp. I cut 6 vanilla beans lengthwise and scrape out the seeds into 500g of sugar.

In a big pot I mix the mango pulp with the vanilla sugar, the vanilla beans and 50ml lemon juice. I simmer it stirring it constantly for about 15minutes or until the sugar is completely dissolved. After switching off the stove I put the lid on the pot and let it stand 2 hours that the vanilla flavour can develop.

I a separate bowl I mix 500g sugar with 30g pectin in a bowl. Pectin ensures that the jam sets well. After adding the sugar-pectin mixture to the mango mixture I heat it over a very low flame to boiling point and let it boil for 3 minutes stirring it constantly. The sugar must be fully disolyed.

To check if the jam is ready I pour a table spoon full of jam on a cool plate. If it gets into a gel like consistence it is ready. If it is runny when I hold the plate slanted it needs to cook a few minutes longer after which I repeat the test.

Once the jam is ready I take the glass jars & lids out of the hot water and put them upside down on a kitchen towel that the water can run out and the jars can dry off a little bit. To fill the boiling hot jam in the jar I use a wide mouth funnel.

You can buy these in a well sorted department store or you make an improvised one out of aluminium foil. Don't worry, if you don't have one you can fill the jam just like this into the jars. I fill the jars til 1cm below the opening edge of the jar.

Make sure that the top edge of the jar is clean before you close the jar with the lid. If there is any jam on it dip a clean kitchen towel into boiling water and wipe off the jam before you put on the lid. Leave the jars standing upside down for 1 hour than turn around and leave it to cool down completely.

Besides having it as jam with fresh bread I often use this jam often as a cake filling or serve it in combination with desserts like milky rice, ice cream or simply mix it with yoghurt for breakfast.

Enjoy and have fun cooking!

Love

Carola

PS.: Pectin is a natural gelling agent made out of apple or papaya seeds.

       Please send me a mail in case you are interested in purchasing a jar of jam.