By Ellen L. Published: 2017-08-11
La, de, da... this is a super fun kind of summer jam! Strawberries and mangos are in abundant supply. What better idea than to mix 'em up into a fabulously yummilicious mix it up jam! I wasn't so sure that the flavors would "jam" so to speak, but wowzer, it did "jam" in the most interestingly tasty way. Try it out yourself with our luscious double flavor packed Strawberry Mango Jam!
Do note this is a quick recipe for making one lovely jar of jam only for consumption within a couple of weeks and not a recipe for batch making of jam!
Strawberries and mango, fresh as you can get it. I like to choose my fruit through smell, a deep whiff of any fruit will yield a store of information as to the ripeness and desirability of the said fruit. Strawberries need to be red and almost over ripe and really intensely strawberry smelling.
For mango, the smell is of course key, but also the touch is very important. Mangos are at their peak sweetness when very soft. Not bruised, mind you, just very soft to the touch. Very soft means very ripe. And so delicious!
And there is also the fun fact that there are mangos from almost everywhere in the world and they all have their own special flavor, so all the more fun to try all the mangoes we can get our greedy grubby little hands on. So far we've tried mangos from Malaysia, Philippines, India, Australia, Taiwan, China, Mexico...hum...there's more, I know, but can't recall at the moment.
I've discovered the joys of making what I call 'casual' jam, or jam one jar at a time, and I really, really love the freedom and the tasty joy it gives me and my family. No need for powdered pectin either! By this method I can make a quick and easy jar of jam whenever I feel the need. Can't keep this jam too long, but honestly, homemade jam is so fresh and tasty it seldom lasts long. It's perfect, really.
When I stated above that there is no need for powdered pectin, I didn't mean you don't need pectin at all. Actually you must have pectin for the fruit to thicken into jam. But there is another much easier way to do it. Note the rather greenish lemon in the photo above. I managed to find a stock of Meyer lemons and kept it over long probably. I suppose that's why it's greenish.
Anyways, a bit of any kind of lemon is key in this kind of jam making, as the lemon rind and the lemon seed naturally have pectin in them. Add the rind and seeds into your fruit mash and the natural pectin will cook out right into your mash. Plus the squeeze of lemon picks up the flavors wonderfully and gives a pleasing tartness.
For me one of the favorite parts of cooking is standing over a bubbling pot of something, stirring away, watching in meditative fashion as the alchemy of cooking takes place before my eyes, transforming the original ingredients into something else altogether. Sometimes, if I'm lucky, into something sublime. And then sometimes, on a spaced out day, I might even burn the darn thing.
This beautiful red orange tinted Strawberry Mango Jam has a doubliciously fruity taste. The sweetness of the fragrant strawberry hits your tongue first followed more slowly by that special unique tangy sweetness of the mango. Usually jams are singularly flavored but I quite enjoyed the layering of flavors in our jam and I especially liked that mango kick.
Next time I think maybe we'll try pure mango jam!
Strawberry Mango Jam Recipe
(makes approx. 2 cups) Prep time: Cook time:
(makes approx. 2 cups) Prep time: Cook time:
Ingredients:
- 1 pint jar with lid, 16oz
- 2 cups mango cubes, 300g
- 1 lb strawberries, 450g, hulled and quartered
- 1 1/2 cup sugar, 300g
- 1/2 lemon, juice of
- 1/2 lemon, rind of
- pinch salt
Directions:
Place 3 spoons in freezer for use in the jam spoon test later.
In small heavy bottomed pot add quartered strawberries, cubed mangoes, sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind, and salt and cook over medium heat. Mash the fruit as it cooks, leavings bits here and there unmashed if you like your jam chunky. ( I use one end of my wooden rolling pin to mash.) Stir continuously for 6 mins or so until fruit mash becomes thick.
Place 3 spoons in freezer for use in the jam spoon test later.
In small heavy bottomed pot add quartered strawberries, cubed mangoes, sugar, lemon juice, lemon rind, and salt and cook over medium heat. Mash the fruit as it cooks, leavings bits here and there unmashed if you like your jam chunky. ( I use one end of my wooden rolling pin to mash.) Stir continuously for 6 mins or so until fruit mash becomes thick.
Adjust sugar to your taste, being careful of the very hot jam when tasting. Test jam with the spoon test by removing a frozen spoon from the freezer, place a bit of jam on spoon and place back in freezer. If the jam stays thick and jam like when it cools down, then jam in done. If not, continue cooking for another couple of mins and then retest.
When jam is done, remove from heat and let cool completely. Sterilize a glass jam jar with a bit of boiling water. Pour in your jam, screw on lid and keep refrigerated for up to 2-3 weeks. Enjoy!
Fabulously Fruity at The Hong Kong Cookery:
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