Homemade Mango Jam

With summer in full swing here in Australia, we have an abundance of mangoes! Currently, we have so many mangoes that we possibly couldn’t eat them all, so are trying our best to preserve them for when they are not in season. This delicious and easy to make homemade mango jam is a great way to use up all the extra mangoes for a tasty treat in the coming months.

Homemade Mango Jam

Made without pectin, this yummy mango jam contains only three ingredients and is so easy to make. As with all jellies and jams, it does need to boil for some time to get it to gel. It can be made as a refrigerator jam, meaning that it needs to be stored in the fridge, though it can also be water bathed for 10 minutes and store in the pantry for up to 12 months, placing it in the fridge once opened.

What type of Mangoes are needed?

For a lovely sweet and flavourful jam, the best mangoes to use, should be the freshest mangoes without fibres or strings. They need to have no bruises and be ripe, not hard. If they are too soft or overripe, put them aside to use in smoothies.

The mangoes will need to be peeled and chopped. The seed and the peel can be discarded, while the flesh is used in this refrigerator mango jam recipe.

Pectin

For jams to thicken and set, they need a substance known as pectin. Some fruits naturally contain more pectin than others. When making jams and jellies with low-pectin fruits, such as mango, lemon or lime juice is added.

High-pectin Fruits

• Apples
• Blackcurrants
• Redcurrants
• Gooseberries
• Raspberries
• Plums
• Cranberries
• Oranges
• Lemons
• Apricots
• Blackberries
• Blueberries

Low-pectin fruits

• Strawberries
• Rhubarb
• Peaches
• Cherries
• Pears

If you are using low-pectin fruits in your jam, you need to add some lemon juice or perhaps mix in some high-pectin fruit to help your jam to set. Alternatively, using jam sugar with low-pectin fruit works well.

With this homemade jam recipe, you can add pectin which will help speed up the cooking process, though it is not needed as long as you add lemon or lime juice.

Making Mango Jam

To make jam, you need to soften the fruit first. We like our mango jam relatively smooth, so while softening the fruit, I used a masher to mash it to a smooth puree, though this is just our personal taste. 

After peeling and deseeding the mangoes, cut the flesh in ½” pieces.

Add the mango, sugar and lemon or lime juice to a large saucepan and slowly bring to the boil. You could also add up to 250g of grated ginger for a delicious twist on this yummy mango jam.

The mixture will then need to boil and thicken and you will need to stir it frequently so that it doesn’t burn or stick to the bottom of the pot. If you have a candy thermometer, it needs to read 105°C (220°F), though you will need to keep a close eye on the mixture when it starts getting around this temperature.

If you don’t have a thermometer, you can use the jam / cold plate test. Before starting your jam, simply place 3 or 4 small plates in the freezer. When you think the jam may be ready, place a small teaspoon amount of jam onto one of the cold plates from the freezer and let it sit for about 30 seconds. Then run your finger through the middle of the blob of jam. If the line starts to fill back over, it means the jam is too runny and is not ready yet, so keep cooking and repeat again in about five minutes. If the line remains, then the jam has reached setting point and is ready.

This jam needs to be placed into sterilised jars. So make sure you have them ready for when the jam has reached the gel stage.

Pour the homemade mango jam into the prepared sterilised jars, leaving ¼” headspace. Clean the rims and place the lids on the jars.

If you are processing the jars, place them in a water bath canner for 10 minutes to preserve them. Alternatively, let the jam cool down and then place in the fridge to use within a couple of weeks.

This jam needs to be placed into sterilised jars. This recipe makes about 3 cups of mango jam, so you won’t need too many jars. It will need to be stored in the fridge and should last about 1-3 months this way. Though, if you follow the correct instructions for canning (the hot water bath method), you will be able to store it in the pantry for up to one year.

Using Mango Jam

So now you have all this mango jam, what can you use it on? How about trying it on:

• toast
• pancakes
• oats
• ice cream
• add to salad dressings
• add to marinades
• use to glaze meat

Can I use Frozen Fruit?

Yes! When we have an abundance of mangoes, we freeze as much as we can. When we run out of jam, we can easily make a new batch out of mango season with the frozen fruit. Just remember, when using frozen fruit, the cooking process will take longer as there will be more water in the fruit.

Can I Freeze Mango Jam?

Yes! You can freeze it right in the jar (as long as you use the correct jars). Just make certain that you have preserved it properly and definitely leave some space at the top as it will expand a tiny bit when freezing. It should last up to three months in the freezer.

Why Didn’t my Mango Jam Set?

There are many reasons as to why your jam didn’t set. It may have needed to be cooked longer or sometimes, the fruit you used didn’t have enough natural sugar and needs a little more pectin or in this case, lemon juice, added.

If you followed these instructions and your jam didn’t set properly, place your jam in the fridge overnight. If it isn’t set in the morning, you could try re-cooking it a bit longer and may be adding a bit of pectin or some more sugar and lemon, though have a taste test you don’t want to add too much that it may affect the flavour.

Sterilisation

There are a few ways to sterilise your jars, this is the one I use.

Wash the jars and lids in hot, soapy water. Rinse the jars in hot water and place upside down on racks in an oven heated to 120˚c. You can line the racks with baking paper first if you want. Heat the jars for 20 minutes. Do not place cold jam into hot jars or they may crack and break.

More Mango Recipes

• Mango Cheesecake
• Pavlova Dessert Board
• Fruit Platter
• Banana, Raspberry and Mango Popsicles
• Mango Mousse