Do you know what a mangosteen is? I didn’t. Well, I’ve actually eaten one before, but only because I lived in the Philippines for a year and it was like a Christmas tradition. You know how some families make fried chicken or other comfort foods for Christmas dinner?
Well in the Philippines, they make Mangosteen Jam. I didn’t know what mangosteen was, but just because it was on the table, I ate it. I loved it. And the next year I ate it again, and the next year, and the next year. You know what that means right? I needed to figure out how to make it!
So I did just that. I spent a lot of time making this jam. It took MANY batches, but in the end, I had a jar, and it was good. I was sad to hear that mangosteens are hard to get here in the states, but as it turns out, my husband’s family has a tree in their backyard! You see, his mom is from Thailand and they have a ton of mangosteens at their family home.
Well, I got her to send me some, and I made this mangonateen jam. It’s really good – sweet, with a little bit of a tang. It’s also made with honey, so it’s healthier than a lot of jams.
Well, I was at a holiday party not too long ago, and I did what I usually do – I left some jam to share. Well it didn’t make it onto anyone’s plate. One lady was keeping a close eye on it, asking me about it, and how I made it. Well that’s how they do it in the Philippines right? So I told her I was from the Philippines. She was like “No wai? I’m from the Philippines too!”
I was like wai!
I mean, it only made sense to me, but it was crazy. She had never had mangosteen jam, so she was asking me all about it. It turned out she was a world traveler, just like me, and our parents know each other. Small world eh?
Ingredients:
- 2 cups (300g) chopped fresh mangosteen flesh (from about 2 mangosteens)
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
Instructions:
- Combine mangosteen flesh and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently, until the mangosteen is completely broken down and the jam is thick and syrupy.
- Remove from heat and allow to cool.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
- Serve on toast, pancakes, waffles, crepes, french toast, ice cream, yogurt, cheesecake, pound cake, scones, muffins, etc.