DELICIOUS MANGO PRESERVE

The last post gave you a recipe for a delectable mango jam but today I will show you a lovely variation which I call mango preserve. Searching high and low for the correct name I finally decided to call it a preserve.

There are marmalades and jams, jellies and confitures, fruit butters and cheeses, all prepared by different methods and for different purposes. But what they all have in common are fruit and sugar. I found that fruit butter comes closest to my own recipe but I simply find the name unappealing. And since it is not a commercial product I prefer to call this yummy spread mango preserve!

First jar of mango preserve, just sealed and still hot!

As I said in my last post, it is almost impossible to accurately determine how many mangoes will be needed to make up a given weight when prepped. So much depends on individual size and how juicy they are. If you buy your mangoes by weight get double the weight you need because skins and stones will be discarded. If you purchase the mangoes in the local markets you pay for a little heap of 3 or 5, depending on the seller. To obtain 1kg of prepared fruit you will need at least 15 mangoes, so I suggest to buy a few extra. You can always eat them fresh if they are too many!

Equipment needed is the same as in the previous post and if you are not sure about how to sterilize your jars you can read it there as well.

Before I come to the actual recipe there are a few preparations necessary. Wash the fruit , slice off the flesh as close to the stone as possible, then make vertical and horizontal cuts from the inside right down to but not through the skin. Turn the skin up and you'll get what is called a hedgehog. Now it is easy to cut off the mango cubes. Place on the scales and continue until you have 1kg. Then proceed to chop the fruit very finely so that only little pieces remain.

Finely chopped

Since mangoes are very fibrous it is important to cut them as small as possible.

Add mangoes and sugar to pot

The amount of sugar needed depends on the sweetness or tartness of the fruit. The normal ratio of sugar to fruit is 10% but not higher than 20% if the mangoes are very tart. 

                 

 To make your delicious mango preserve follow the recipe below:

                                                                                                          

Mango Preserve 
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by Anne Lawal April-20-2018

A very tasty spread using less sugar than in regular jams

Ingredients

• 1kg, prepped mangoes
• 100 - 200g sugar depending on tartness 

Instructions

Place prepared fruit and sugar in your stainless steel pot and put on low heat. Stir a few times to distribute the sugar, then cover pot and allow to come to boil slowly. Continuing on low heat and keeping pot covered, boil for 30 minutes. Do NOT be tempted to open pot for stirring! Stirring will spoil the concoction at this stage by crystallizing the sugar. After half an hour you remove the lid and increase heat to allow the fruit to bubble. Now you will stir until the mixture thickens slightly. Test by placing a teaspoonful on a plate and drawing a line through it. If the line flows together continue cooking for another few minutes. But if it stays open take the pot off the heat and and bottle the preserve immediately and seal.

Details

Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 2 hour Yield: 3 medium jars