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This Vanilla Mango Preserves recipe takes just an hour to make; it’s a delicious tropical twist on your favorite fruity jam and a great way to spiffy up your morning toast.
So apparently mangos are like zucchini. When they’re in season, anyone with a tree will do just about anything to use them up.
A friend of ours dropped off two pretty big boxes of mangos in less than a week, knowing they’re one of my favorites. It was such a sweet gesture that left us eating mangos hand-over-fist, and yet we still weren’t able to keep up with those mangos.
In an effort to preserve them for later consumption, I made a double batch of my Easy No-Churn Mango Lassi Frozen Yogurt and tucked it into the freezer. I also made my Mango Lassi Poppy Seed Muffins and gifted them to the same neighbor when he popped by one evening (I don’t think that qualifies as re-gifting, does it? Lol. Maybe more like repurposing).
I did a few other things with those mangos and was actually sad to see the last mango of the group alone in the fridge. But not all that sad because I had whipped up these mango preserves to enjoy once the fresh mangos ran out!
These preserves are fabulous on toast, but are also pretty versatile; use them to:
Make grown-up pb&j.
Top oatmeal, yogurt, pancakes, or waffles or to fill crepes.
Throw together a quick appetizer: top baguette slices with a slice of Manchego cheese or a schmear of mascarpone, a spoonful of these preserves, and a fresh sprig of mint.
Fold into whipped cream to make Mango Fool.
Spread it between the layers of a layer cake instead of frosting.
To name just a few ideas!
What’s your favorite way to use up mangos?
- 2 kg (4.4 lbs) ripe mangos (see Note)
- 2 cups (400 g) sugar
- 1 cup (240 ml) water
- 1 pinch sea salt
- 1½ tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- ½ tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or the scrapings from 1 vanilla bean)
- Peel, pit, and coarsely chop the mangos.
- Put the sugar, water, salt, and lemon juice in a 5-quart pot over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and continue boiling until it reaches 270F.
- Stir in the chopped mango, bring back up to a boil, and continue cooking until it reaches 220F, about 15 to 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Turn the heat down as necessary so it doesn’t scorch on the bottom.)
- Turn off the heat and stir in the vanilla.
- Transfer the preserves to sterile jars; the jars should be preserved through canning or stored in the refrigerator.
I’m the writer, recipe developer, photographer, and food stylist behind this blog. I love finding the human connection through something we all do every day: eat! Food is a common ground that we can all relate to, and our tables tell a story. It’s my goal to inspire you to get in the kitchen, try something new, and find a favorite you didn’t know you had.
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How long do you processes them in the canner for?
Candis, I processed them for 10 minutes in a boiling water bath canner.
These preserves look incredible, Faith! I so want to use these as a topper for pancakes or waffles – yum!
You lucky girl, all of those mangoes!! What a wonderful idea to make preserves and the combination of flavors is perfection!
Yum! I would dollop this preserves on everything!! Just need to get my hands on fresh mangoes.
Perfect with pancakes or French toast!
Cheers,
Rosa