A mango is a type of tropical fruit that frequently has a reddish-yellow outer rind encircling a sweet inner flesh. Mango preserves are made from chunks of the peeled fruit, mixed with pectin and sugar to form a spread similar to jam. This can be served in many different ways, including on bread, as a topping for desserts such as ice cream or pound cake, or spooned onto cereal.
Making mango preserves is similar to making jam, but the fruit is typically cubed or chopped into chunks instead of being crushed. Some juice is inevitable in this process, and when the chunks of fruit are stirred in along with the juice, pectin, and sugar the result is relatively large pieces of mango preserved in a small amount of jelly. This gives mango preserves its characteristic texture and flavor.
Foods such as mango preserves, jams, and jelly originated because there was no refrigeration available, and fruit could not be saved unless it was mixed with sugar and sealed in jars. The process of canning seals out germs and seals in the flavor, resulting in food that can be stored on the shelf for a substantial period of time. Some people now choose to make mango preserves and similar foods using recipes that must be refrigerated or frozen, but are less trouble to make overall than traditional jam, jelly, or preserves.
Fruit preserves are a common way of storing ripe fruit for later consumption, when it is out of season. Jam and jelly are also popular as ways to keep fruit for use long after the season is over. These three spreads are similar in nature, but have some fundamental differences.
As with mango preserves, mango jelly usually makes use of mangoes, pectin, and sugar. The difference between them is that jelly is made with the juice of the mango rather than chunks of fruit. First, the fruit is crushed, and then it may be cooked or squeezed to extract more of the juice. The pulp is strained out and discarded, leaving just the juice to make the jelly.
When making jam the pulp or crushed fruit is left in with the juice. When this is cooked together with the pectin and sugar it sets up to create jam, a mixture of fruit and juice. Due to the presence of the pulp, jam is less firm when set and more spreadable. Many people prefer jam and preserves to jelly because they are easier to make and because they both contain more of the benefits of the whole fruit, such as added vitamins and fiber.