Start by preparing the mangoes. Wash them with water and wipe them with a kitchen cloth. Peel the mangoes using a paring knife. Cut the flesh away from the pit and discard the pit.
Chop the flesh into small cubes (½ inch). Mangoes do not break well while cooking, so cutting them into small pieces would be better.
Place the chopped mangoes, sugar, and lime juice in a large pan. The jam will splutter a lot while cooking. So, it’s best to use a deep pan.
Bring this mixture to a boil on high heat.
Reduce the heat to medium and cook the mixture for 80-90 minutes.
Mash the jam with a potato masher regularly and keep stirring frequently. Be very careful while stirring as the mixture tends to splutter a lot and you can get burned from the warm mixture falling on you.
When the temperature of the mixture reaches 220℉, the jam is ready. The surface of the jam will have a shiny appearance once it is ready.
If you don’t have a thermometer, you can do a plate test to check if the jam is ready. Put a dish or plate in the freezer before cooking your jam. Once you think your jam is done or has reached the desired consistency, using a spoon, put a bit of the jam on the cold plate and tilt it vertically so that it runs. It should move forward slowly and should not be a runny mess. Also, once you put it on the frozen plate, if it forms a skin on top that wrinkles a bit when pushed, it is done. If it is still runny and liquid, it’s not done yet.
Pour it into clean glass jars. Close the lid tightly and refrigerate for up to 1 month.
Choose ripe and firm mangoes to make the jam. Choose the ones that are less fibrous. Sugar acts as a preservative in this recipe and helps set the jam. In this particular recipe, do not reduce the amount of sugar.You can puree the jam using a regular blender, food processor, or immersion blender once it is slightly cooled if you like a smooth texture. You can add some finely chopped ginger for a nice flavor and make a mango ginger jam. Or make popular habanero mango jam by adding a few deseeded and finely chopped habanero chilies and mangoes.