Easy Homemade Mango Jam: Recipe with Step by Step Pictures

Our childhood food will always stay in our memories and will always be one of our many cravings especially as we grow old. Isn’t? Today’s post is all about recreating one such childhood favorite that was a must in our home, especially in summers, the easy-peasy homemade mango jam. My maa used to make jars of fruit jam and jellies during the harvest times, mango and pineapple being my most favorite. I often crave for her delectable jams. How I loved dipping my fingers in the jar and taking out a sumptuous amount, while my tiny trembling hands clinched the glass jar. Maa obviously pretended not to notice. Then I would run to the “chilekotha”, sit in a corner and lick the sweet crush off those sinful tiny fingers. Ahh!! Memories! While I still do the same, just the chilekotha has been replaced by kitchen slab or when I don’t have patience, it is right behind that opened refrigerator door.

Anyway, I was never a fan of any kind of over the counter fruit jams; I hate the excessive sweetness and unnatural, gelatine like texture. So I had almost stopped having jams. But few days back when I came across pictures of yummy homemade jam on my friend Aparajita’s timeline, I started craving again and decide, “Enough! I am making my own Jam.”

I went into the kitchen, made a mess of it and prepared my first jar of Mango Jam. It turned out to be quite delicious and yes, beautifully flavorsome. It is astonishing and I feel idiotic that I have never tried making jams before, in spite of remembering Maa’s recipes.

The recipe I am sharing today is super easy and the process hardly takes 30 minutes. There is no pectin, preservatives or artificial color added, just 2/3 ingredients and your own jam will be ready.

INGREDIENTS:
Mango
Sugar
Lemon (Optional)

RECIPE:

Mash three ripe mangoes. If you take two ripe mangoes, you can take one slightly raw, it adds to the flavor. Now take 3/4^th of the pulp and pass it through a strainer, use hands to mash the rest. This way your jam will have a nice texture, the way I love. If you like smoother and shinier jam, blend the ripe mangoes in a blender.

Now take a kadai or any gas-friendly pan, pour the pulp, add sugar and put the pan on a medium flame.

Once it starts to boil, add lemon juice. Now, this step is optional. My mother used to make to batches, one with lemon and one without. Obviously I loved the one with lemon. It is up to you what you’ll do.

Allow to simmer on low heat for 15-20 minutes. Keep stirring in between. You will notice a change in color. The more it reduces, the deeper it gets.

When the mixture reduces to half, take some on the spoon and see if it drops easily. When you see it isn’t dropping easily off the spoon, turn off the heat. Don’t let it get thicker than that, otherwise your mango jam will turn into mango bite once cooled.

Pour in a glass jar and let it cool.

Once your jam comes to room temperature, refrigerate!

Your finger-licking mango jam is ready.

Since this is a no-preservative recipe, I would advice you all to make small batches so that you don't run the risk of them going bad. However, one batch should stay well for around 2 months if refrigerated well, but if you have a forever hungry soul and a greedy tongue like me, then 2-3 days maximum. Good Luck!