Exotic Mango Jam

Photo: Wyni Walker

Ingredients

10 ripe fresh mangoes

1 cup (250 ml) white sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh lemon juice

1 cup (250 ml) water

2 cinnamon sticks

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

I use the sweet ripe, fibreless mangoes.

Cut them in chunks.

You can use the frozen store bought ones, but then you might have to add a bit more sugar as they tend to be less sweet.

Put the mango, sugar, lemon juice and water into a casserole (pot) over medium heat.

Stir the mixture till all the sugar has melted.

Turn down the heat and let the mangoes simmer for about 30 minutes.

Stir occasionally.

The mangoes will be nice and soft by now and will break down when you stir them.

Add two cinnamon sticks (break in half) to the mangoes and a table spoon of cinnamon.

Let simmer for a further 10 minutes.

If you like your jam smooth, you can use a stick blender at this stage, but if you like it more coarse, you can leave it as is.

If you are going to eat the jam straight away, you can put it in a container and refrigerate it. If you want to save some for another day or to give away (you might not once you tasted your jam) you can put it in sterilised jars.

To sterilise the jar, I first wash it with soapy water, then I rinse and dry it before I put the cold jar in the oven. I turn the oven to 110 degrees celcius and once the oven has reached the temperature, I turn it off and let the jar cool slightly.

I let the jam cool slightly (still hot, but not boiling), take out the cinnamon sticks, and then pour the hot jam into the hot jar and seal. You can add a new whole cinnamon stick to the jar before sealing. The cinnamon really gives it a lovely taste.

It should last up to six months in a cool, dry place.