Mandarin jam is a delicious preserve that captures the fragrance and flavor of this very aromatic fruit. It’s easy to prepare and will give you the opportunity to enjoy this marvel even in the months when this fruit is not in season. The ingredients are just two: high-quality fruit and sugar (I prefer cane sugar, but of course white granulated can be used as well). Mandarin jam can be enjoyed at breakfast or snack time but can also be used to glaze cakes, accompany ice creams, or fill tarts.
- Difficulty: Very easy
- Cost: Medium
- Rest time: 3 Hours
- Preparation time: 20 Minutes
- Portions: about 2 lbs and 10 oz
- Cooking methods: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Italian
- Seasonality: Autumn, Winter
Ingredients
- 2 kg peeled mandarins
- 800 g sugar
- zest of 2 lemons
Preparation
Wash 3 mandarins with a brush and grate their zest directly into a large, thick-bottomed stainless steel pot that we will use to make the jam. Peel all the fruits and remove the white filaments that would give the preparation a bitter note.
Transfer the fruits into the pot along with the sugar (which should be at least 40 to 50% of the total weight of the fruit, as it doesn’t just sweeten but also helps preserve the product longer) and the lemon peels without the white inner part.
With the help of a fork, prick the mandarin fruits multiple times: this way, the sugar will not only distribute evenly, but it will also allow the juice to come out and form the syrup, which will significantly shorten the cooking time. Stir occasionally and let the fruit rest in the sugar for about 3 hours.
Sterilize the jars and lids that we will use for storing the jam.
After the maceration time, place the pot on the smallest burner, on high flame, and cover until the mixture begins to boil.
At that point, remove the lid and, stirring occasionally, use a slotted spoon to remove the seeds that start to come to the surface.
Continue until the mixture reaches the desired density for our jam (in my case, the jam cooked for a total of an hour and 10 minutes).
At first, the pot will fill with syrup. It’s not a problem, as this syrup will gradually reduce significantly.
The jam needs to be checked very often to avoid it burning or thickening too much.
The mixture of fruit and syrup will begin to thicken more and more, and the syrup will be almost completely absorbed. At this point (after about 50-60 minutes), to determine if the jam is ready, perform the “saucer” test.
Place a teaspoon of jam on a dry coffee saucer, let it sit for about a minute, then slide it along the saucer. If it slides away too easily, it means it is still too liquid. Let it cook for another 5 minutes and repeat the test. It’s ready when it slides down slowly.
Turn off the heat, remove the lemon peels, and immediately fill the jars, as the jam, when hot, is more liquid than it will be once cooled.
Fill the jars up to one centimeter from the rim, seal them well, and immediately turn them upside down to create a vacuum. Let them cool completely without touching them. Store them in a cool and dry place. The jam is soft and dense.
If you love citrus fruits, you might also be interested in grapefruit jam, orange jam, mixed citrus jam.
