Mango and passionfruit were made for each other. Together they become a tart and tropical superfruit of awesomeness.
This jam was inspired by I similar concoction I picked up in Barcelona (of course me being entirely enthralled by anything and everything passionfruit). I’d done a Peach Passionfruit jam last year, and this one is very similar, although the tropical affectations of the mango I feel are slightly more suited to the passion-combo than the peach.
My love for passionfruit is well documented. I’ve snatched up passionfruit in any form I can find, puree, concentrate, frozen pulp, and juice. And yet my heart still skips a beat when I come across fresh fruits, a rare find here in Tennessee (although I recently discovered that the passionflower is, believe it or not, the Tennessee state flower. How is that so when the fruits are such rarities here?)
So when I heard through the twitter-vine that a local Asian market was getting in a fresh shipment, I dragged Taylor out of the house and down Nolensville road to get my hands on some.
Needless to say, I was shocked when I finally saw them. I hardly believed they were passionfruits at first. The size of ostrich eggs, and bright yellow in color (not the golf-ball sized purple fruits I’d encountered before). I was in awe. I felt like Veruca Salt when she first laid her hands on that golden egg (except I gratefully bought my 3 passionfruits and didn’t cause a scene).
The store also happened to have boxes upon boxes of golden-colored Champagne mangoes, whose flavor and texture is far superior to the more common red/green-skinned varieties available in the States.
Once again, the universe had spoken.
Mango passionfruit jam it is.
As it turns out, passionfruit is a very pectin-rich fruit, especially the skins – and so I soaked the fruit pulp overnight with the empty shells and cooked the jam for a while with the shells submerged to coax out as much of the natural pectin as possible. If you’d prefer a quick-cooked jam, feel free to add some pectin in as needed, but know that without it, you’ll end up with a wonderfully loose-textured jam that’s simply bursting with tropical flavor.
I debated whether or not I wanted to add back the seeds (once you’ve strained the passionfruit pulp, you could easily rinse and re-add some of the seeds back into the thickened jam). The black specks would make it instantly apparent just what flavor this jam was, but I find the seeds a bit too hard and felt it would compromise the luxurious texture of the jam on its own.
Dare I say this is one of my favorite jams to date? Oh wait, I said that about the last one, didn’t I? Let’s just say each batch turns out better than the last.
But truly, this one is really REALLY good. The last one was good too, but this one is better (sorry, plum). The tartness of passionfruit was made for jam, I think, and for the first time I actually had enough of the stuff to warrant getting out the canning equipment. I wasn’t going to let an opportunity like that go to waste.
RECIPE NOTE: If you’re looking for a quicker, lower sugar version made with pectin and passionfruit juice/pulp (instead of whole fruit), I’ve got an updated version of this recipe available in That’s My Jam. Same great flavors, much quicker and easier process!
Mango Passion Jam
Ingredients:
- 4 pounds ripe mango (about 6 large or 8 smaller sized mangoes)
- 1/2 cup passionfruit pulp*, from 3 large or 7-8 small passionfruit, rinds reserved and seeds discarded
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
Directions:
- Peel and core mango and coarsely chop. Run chopped mango through a coarse food mill, or pulse briefly in a food processor (do not liquefy). Transfer to a bowl along with lemon juice and passionfruit pulp (tip: pulse passionfruit once or twice in a food processor or blender to release pulp from seeds, then strain through a fine mesh sieve to separate seeds). Submerge empty passionfruit hulls into mixture; cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Prepare canner and wash/sterilize 5 half-pint mason (or equivalent) jars. Keep jars in hot (not boiling) water until ready to use. Warm lids in hot (not boiling) water to sterilize and soften seal.
- Place fruit mixture, along with hulls, in a large, heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Carefully using a pair of tongs, remove passionfruit hulls, spooning out any clinging fruit back into the saucepan. Discard.
- When fruit mixture reaches a full rolling boil, pour in sugar, stirring vigorously until completely dissolved. Continue to boil for 15 to 20 minutes or until desired set is achieved (to test, place a dollop of jam on a plate that has been chilled in the freezer. Return to freezer for 1-2 minutes, then push your finger through the jam. If it mounds up in small folds, it’s done. If not, continue to cook for a few more minutes then test again).
- Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally and skimming off any foam that may have formed.
- Ladle jam into jars, leaving 1/4-inch of headspace. Wipe jar rims and threads. Screw on lids and rings. Process in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes. Remove from water and let cool completely, 12 to 24 hours. Check seals. Any unsealed jars should be refrigerated and used within 3 weeks.
*This jam works best with fresh whole passionfruit, as the rinds serve as the main source of pectin for the jam. If you substitute passionfruit juice, concentrate, or puree, you may need to compensate with added pectin.
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Bonus Printable Labels
I love playing with clear labels and lighter colored jams, the clear gloss label paper disappears upon application, making the design look like a henna tattoo right on the jar itself.
The downloadable PDF file includes 13 labels, perfectly sized to fit on these 6 ounce victorian square jars pictured), but can also be used on any other smooth-sided jar.
To use, simply download the printable file by completing the form below. Print your labels onto full-sheet sticker paper, cut out shapes, and apply directly to the (canned and cooled) jars.