Making Mango Jam
Originating in Southeast Asia and India, the mango is a fruit steeped in ancient religious and cultural tradition. From their discovery over 4,000 year ago to medieval times to the Mughal Empire to modernity, mangoes have managed to permeate societies because of their unique sweet taste and floral scent; they have also permeated many of these civilizations as a fruit associated with wealth and prosperity. Accordingly, mangoes are a large part of the cuisine in these areas. Additionally, both Hindus and Buddhists revere the fruit as sacred and as an item fit for royalty.
Since B.C., mangoes have had an exodus out of Asia and soon began to grow in other tropical climates like those in the Middle East, East Africa, and South America; today mangoes are grown in some parts of the United States as well.
Recently, I bought a bag of frozen mangoes from the store. By mistake, I had left the bag out overnight and the mango chunks had melted. In a desperate frenzy to save the mangoes, I decided to make mango jam. I choose to do this because by cooking the mangoes, I would be able to kill any growing bacteria and still salvage the so called King of Fruits.
Never having made jam before, I looked up a recipe and it seemed easy enough.
I separated out the mango chunks that were already starting to rot from the usable mango chunks and created a smooth and thick liquid in my blender. I transferred my mango puree into a pot on the stove and began to heat the mango mash. I added two tablespoons of sugar and the juice of half a lemon and began stirring my concoction so the sugars would not caramelize on the bottom of the pot and create lumps, or worse, burn my jam.
So, for the next hour I stirred my mango mixture until the liquid had evaporated and my mango soup was fully reduced. At this point, I took my now brownish-yellow jam-like consistency mangoes and put them in a glass jar.
After cooling in the fridge, I tasted my mango jam and it honestly did not do justice to the fresh fruit itself. Although I was disappointed in the flavor profile of the jam, it was a successful jam and adds an interesting value to dishes like beef steak.
Although many in India cherish the cow as a sacred animal, in my opinion, the sacred mango and the sacred cow make a nice culinary pairing.
Mango is a versatile item that can be added to almost any dish from smoothies, to cheesecakes, to salads, to slaws, and even to fish. It is important to recognize the history behind our food and can be exciting to try new foods and new culinary combinations.
