Clean out the freezer and stock up on seasonal fruit — it’s jam-making time.
Late spring finds my jam cupboard nearly empty. Blueberries, apricots, cherries, and peaches won’t be ready for several weeks, and plums, pears, and apples are even further off. Strawberries are ripe, but I rarely make strawberry jam, so I checked the freezer.
There weren’t any frozen peaches this year, but tucked beneath cauliflower rice I discovered a large bag of cranberries — along with an inexplicable surplus of frozen peas. I love cranberries in all forms: sauce, chutney, relish, dried, and in quick breads and muffins. I usually make a spicy Cranberry Christmas Jam each winter, so this time I wanted a brighter, spring-inspired version.
To balance the cranberry tartness I added sweet mango and brightened the flavor with orange juice. The jam comes together quickly but can spit as it boils, so use a large, deep pot. Enjoy this jam on toast or muffins, serve it as an accompaniment to dinner, or thin it with a little vinegar to make a tangy marinade — it pairs especially well with pork chops, chicken, or tofu cutlets.
Cranberry Mango Jam
Pin Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
- 3 cups chopped ripe mango
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice
- 5 3/4 cups granulated sugar
Method
-
Combine all ingredients in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot.
-
Rub a small amount of butter around the inside rim of the pot to help prevent boil-overs.
-
Bring the mixture slowly to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves.
-
Increase the heat slightly and cook briskly, stirring frequently to prevent sticking, until the jam reaches its gelling point.
-
Test for gelling using the chilled plate method or a digital thermometer. Jam sets at 220°F (about 8°F above the boiling point of water).
-
Ladle hot jam into prepared jars, leaving 1/4 inch of headspace.
-
Wipe jar rims with a damp paper towel, then apply lids and rings.
-
Process jars in a boiling-water canner for 15 minutes. Remove and let cool completely.
-
Yield: about 7 half-pint (1/2 pint) jars.
If you enjoy experimenting with preserves, I also offer a collection of jam, jelly, and other preserves recipes in an ebook titled “Creative Jams and Preserves.”
Buy a copy today and start making jam!
