Jam Session

Mangoes

In India there are more than five hundred varieties of mango. Our mango learning curve in the United States is much less steep, as we are limited to just a few varieties cultivated in Mexico, the Caribbean, South America, and Florida.

The most prevalent varieties are Haden, Tommy Atkins, Kent, and Ataulfos. Mangoes come into season in the spring and last into summer. When ripe, their aroma is tantalizing, with a hint of resin, and their taste is sweet and tart. Kidney-shaped Ataulfos are sweet and mild. Some of the oval green varieties, even those with a slight red blush, can be more astringent and medicinal. Their flesh is yellow, smooth, and a bit slippery when sliced. Getting the flesh off the flat central pit is the challenge, and then the cook is in luck, because what clings to the pit is the cook’s treat. Wear a bib or eat it over the sink.

Ripe mangoes are ideal for jam and softer-textured conserves. The firmer ones are best for chutney, as they will hold their shape. Mangoes pair well with spices, such as cardamom and ginger, but the classic pairing is with lime. They bring out the best in each other.

Natural flavor-pairing affinities for mangoes are lime, lemon, orange, cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, chiles, vanilla, hot peppers, and coconut.

This is a pretty, glowing, gold chutney. It is good with seafood because it is bright and tart and has a nice lemony kick. Do not substitute brown sugar for the granulated sugar if you want to keep the golden hue of the fruit in the finished chutney. Choose yellow mangoes that are on the firmer side.

Hold one of the mangoes vertically and slice the flesh away from the pit on both sides. Peel the halves and cut the flesh into large dice. Repeat with the remaining 6 mangoes. You will have 7 cups.

Place the raisins in a small bowl with the orange or lemon juice or water to cover. Set aside to plump.

Combine the garlic, onions, lemons, fresh ginger, and chiles in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pulverized. Add ¾ cup of the vinegar and pulse again. Add this mixture to the mangoes.

Add the salt, ground cardamom, cardamom seeds, mustard seeds, ground ginger, and the remaining 1¼ cups vinegar.

Place two baking sheets on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set two stockpots on the stove and fill them with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see this page) in the water bath.

Bring the mango mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the raisins, stirring often (to prevent the raisins from sinking and scorching), and simmer until the chutney has thickened. The raisins will absorb some of the liquid, so if there is not enough juice and syrup to cover the fruit, add lemon juice to cover and thin the mixture.

Taste and adjust the sweet-tart ratio, adding more sugar, lemon juice, and salt as needed. Do a plate test (see this page). The chutney should mound on the plate but still be syrupy. If the chutney is not ready, cook a few more minutes and then repeat the plate test until it passes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheets.

Ladle the chutney into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Using a jar lifter, gently lower the jars into the pots. When the water returns to a boil, decrease the heat to an active simmer, and process the jars for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pots to the baking sheet and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see this page). Label and store the sealed chutney for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Look for soft, ripe mangoes for this jam. The Ataulfo or Champagne varieties are best.

The flavor variable is the amount of ginger you add. It can be a subtle hint or a bit more assertive.

For texture, the question is to mash or not to mash. While you want pieces of mango for chutney, you want a jam to be more spreadable. Ergo, mash the fruit a bit.

This jam is good on toast and French toast, as well as on ham and cheese sandwiches, and is wonderful when warmed and spooned over coconut ice cream or coconut panna cotta.

Hold one of the mangoes vertically and slice the flesh away from the pit on both sides. Peel the halves and cut the flesh into ¼-inch dice. Repeat with the remaining 2 or 3 mangoes. You will have about 4 cups.

In a large preserving pot, gently combine the mangoes, zest and juice of 2 of the limes, and the ginger. Stir in the sugar. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 1 minute. Turn off the heat and let sit for 1 hour. Repeat this process until the mango is soft, two or three more times. When the mangoes are tender, mash them to a coarse puree with a potato masher. Or let them cool and then puree in a food processor.

Bring the mango puree to a boil over medium-high heat. Add the zest and juice of the remaining 2 limes and the salt and cinnamon. Taste and increase the tartness by adding lemon juice. Turn off the heat and let sit, uncovered, for 1 hour or until cool.

Place a baking sheet on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set a stockpot on the stove and fill it with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see this page) in the water bath.

Bring the mango jam to a boil over medium-high heat, then turn off the heat. Do the plate test (see this page), checking to see if the jam has achieved a soft set and mounds on the plate. If the jam is not ready, cook a few more minutes and then repeat the plate test until it passes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheet.

Ladle the jam into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.

Using a jar lifter, gently lower the jars into the pot. When the water returns to a boil, decrease the heat to an active simmer, and process the jars for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and leave the jars in the water for 1 to 2 minutes.

Using the jar lifter, transfer the jars from the pot to the baking sheet and let sit for at least 6 hours, until cool enough to handle. Check to be sure the jars have sealed (see this page). Label and store the sealed jam for 6 months to 2 years. Once open, store in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.

Hold one of the mangoes vertically and slice the flesh away from the pit on both sides. Peel the halves and cut the flesh into large dice. Repeat with the remaining 2 mangoes. You will have 5 to 6 cups.

Place the raisins in a small bowl with the orange juice or water to cover. Set aside to plump.

Combine the onion, garlic, chiles, limes, and ginger in the bowl of a food processor and pulse until pulverized. Add ¾ cup of the vinegar and pulse again. Add this mixture to the mangoes.

Place a baking sheet on the counter near your stove. Heat a kettle of water. Set two stockpots on the stove and fill them with enough water to cover the jars by 1 to 2 inches. Bring the water to a boil over medium-high heat. Sterilize the jars (see this page) in the water bath.

Bring the mango mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; then decrease the heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the raisins and simmer, stirring often (to prevent the raisins from sinking and scorching), until the chutney has thickened. The raisins will absorb some of the liquid, so if there is not enough juice and syrup to cover the fruit, add orange juice or water to cover and thin the mixture.

Taste and adjust the sweet-tart ratio, adding more sugar or lime juice as needed. Do the plate test (see this page). The chutney should mound on the plate and be syrupy. If the chutney is not ready, cook a few more minutes and repeat the plate test until it passes. Remove the pot from the heat.

Bring the water bath back to a boil. If the jars have cooled, warm them in the water bath or in a 200°F oven. Simmer the lids in a saucepan of hot water. Place the jars on the baking sheet.

Ladle the chutney into the jars, leaving ¼-inch headspace. Wipe the rims clean and set the lids on the mouths of the jars. Twist on the rings.