Tropical Vanilla Mango Jam

Laundry basket full of mangoes

 When Maria Von Trapp, then Sister Maria, sang about her favorite things she forgot to mention homemade mango jam.  Granted it was World War II Austria where mangoes weren't likely to be a popular fruit.  And there was the rise of the Third Reich and that fact that the problem known as Maria was fictional.  But I firmly believe had she known she would have found a way to rhyme to mango jam with raindrops, kittens and warm woolen mittens. 

  

Monty guarding my precious mangoes

 My mango jam adventure started as Costa Rica's mango season was winding down.  Warm sunny days started to give way to rainy gray skies and roadside fruit stands were desperate to sell quickly ripening mangoes.  Signs offered crates of mangoes for $5 US dollars.  I can't resist a yummy ripe mango or a bargain.  So I bought crate and dreamed of all the goodies I could make.

As it turns out a basket of mangoes can go pretty far.  I made jam, fruit parfaits, pies and smoothies.  But the Tropical Vanilla Mango Jam was the best.  Like bottled sunshine.   

 Tropical Vanilla Mango Jam

Ingredients:

• 6 cups semi-ripe or ripe mango slices

• 2 cups water

• 3 cups granulated sugar   

**( I decreased it to 2 cups and cooked slightly longer)

• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Preparation:

Chopped mangoes at a boil

 Combine the mango slices and water in a saucepan and boil over moderate heat for 15 minutes, until the mangoes are tender. 

Pureeing mangoes in the pan with immersion blender

Press this mixture through a sieve, or process in an electric blender or food processor until smooth.   

I opted to use my handy-dandy immersion blender.  So there was no fussing with moving boiling hot fruit to a blender or food processor.  If you don't have an immersion blender a potato masher would be just as effective. 

Adding raw sugar

Return to the saucepan and add the sugar and vanilla extract.

Mangoes with sugar and vanilla boiling

 Boil for 30 to 40 minutes, until thick and the proper consistency for a jam

The delicious finished product

Pour into hot sterilized jars and seal.  Let cool then store in refrigerator and/or give as gifts.  The jam should be consumed within 4 weeks.