1 Mango Jalapeno Jam

I love red pepper jellies/jams and when I saw mangos on sale at Trader Joe's this past weekend (celebrating their 50th anniversary) I couldn't resist getting a couple. I definitely should have bought more mangoes, but for this small batch jam recipe you really only need one good size mango.

This jam works well as both a sweet and savory spread. Put it on crackers, cheese, croissants, etc. There's no wrong way to eat this jam :-D

1 mangoe

1-2 jalapenos

1/8-1/4 cup sugar or honey *sweeten to taste*

1 tbs lemon or lime juice

Clean and dice your jalapenos. I didn't leave much in the way of seeds, I like heat but I don't need a ton of it. I really just like the jalapeno flavor.

Cut and squeeze lime, you can use more than 1 tbs of juice. The purpose of the acid is to help thicken the jam.

The first mango I cut up gave me over 10oz of fruit, so I decided not to cut up the other one. Start by slicing the sides off the mango and then slicing them with a cross-hatch pattern. This makes it easy to cut the chunks right off the skin and into your pot. I then went back to the core of the mango and carved whatever extra fruit I could out of it (kind of like how my husband carves a turkey). What little is left of the mango is going to be offered to our bird (we're trying to wean him off seeds).

If you want a smoother jam, give the mango a spin in your blender or food processor before adding the other ingredients.

If the mango you are using isn't particularly ripe, you may want to increase the amount of sugar you use. Likewise if it's a very ripe mango, you can probably decrease the sugar.

Add everything together in a pot large enough to avoid potential spillovers. Stir everything and then mash the fruit for a minute or two, this just helps the mango break down quicker.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring frequently. Once the pot is boiling, lower heat to a simmer and continue to stir. Cook for another 15-20 minutes.

When the jam is done cooking, remove it from heat and transfer to a sterilized jar. Keep in the fridge and use within 3 weeks (as if that'll be a problem).