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Mango jam [refined sugar free]

April 23, 2020 / 46 Comments

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Do I need fresh mango to make this mango jam?

Yes, fresh mango is best. In summer here in Australia, we can buy beautiful Australian mangoes by the tray which lends itself perfectly to making jam out of those mangoes that start looking a little too soft to eat. The Australian mango season lasts from about September to March and there are several varieties of mango grown here, which come from the Northern Territory, Western Australia, Queensland and northern New South Wales. I love them all although will admit that Kensington Pride is my favourite. If you have ever dreamed of perfectly yellow, ripe, gorgeous smelling summer fruit, this is it.

That said, if you can’t lay your hands on fresh mangoes (and I know from our travels that the mangoes grown overseas are not nearly as lovely – they seem to be either underripe or overripe and their taste is different, or they are prohibitively expensive – and so you wouldn’t dream of making them into jam if you can just enjoy them fresh), try using frozen chunks of mango. You may need to try a few brands until you find one which offers the best natural sweetness and colour (a lot of the brands in my experience offer very pale underripe mango which is not nearly as flavourful as the real thing).

Or, if you do get a lot of mangoes during summer, remember to cut up some and store them in your freezer for winter! That way, you can always make mango jam year round.

Mango jam in jars. — *Mango jam (in the front), as well as my awesome berry cherry jam and homemade Nutella.*

How do I eat my mango jam?

Well, obviously, you can eat it on a toast but there are also other ways to enjoy this delicious jam. How about:

with a slick of cream cheese on a bagel
as a parfait with some homemade granola and Greek yoghurt
on top of some delicious fluffy pancakes
as a topping for your overnight oats or porridge

I have also made this mango jam into little Christmas gifts for our kids’ preschool teachers last year (see image below) which was very popular. This is such a versatile recipe and I am sure you will use it a lot, once you make it, like we do (that is, if you can stop yourself from eating it out of the jar!).

Ok, convinced – what else do I need to make this jam?

Apart from mangoes, this recipe uses:

natural sweetener (I use the Raw Earth stevia and monkfruit sweetener which is fabulous) to keep the calories down
lemon juice for a bit of acidity
cinnamon powder to highlight mango’s fruity flavour (I swear by this little trick, also try it sometimes in a milkshake)
tapioca powder as a natural way to thicken the fruit mixture and make it into a jam (look for one without preservatives)

See? Super easy. I make the recipe in the microwave, in a large glass mixing bowl (Pyrex is perfect) and it comes together in about 10 minutes. I have been known to make three different jams in one morning while the kids are playing after breakfast, for the next day. It’s honestly super quick and easy and once you make it a couple of times, you won’t even need to look at the recipe.

I also love this recipe because it helps use up fruit that you might otherwise throw out – and I am always trying to use up what we have and throw out as little as possible.

5 from 6 votes