Fruit jams are a breakfast favourite amongst a lot of us. Be it with warm toast or with steaming hot parathas, these sweet spreads make for delicious treats on a lazy day. Unfortunately, most store-bought jams are loaded with artificial flavours, colours, and preservatives. And there’s no better way around this than making your own jam at home. We’ve got some really simple fruit jam recipes for you to try out this weekend.

1. Mixed Fruit Jam

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Ingredients:

2 apples (peeled and chopped)

8-10 strawberries (peeled and chopped)

2 bananas (peeled and chopped)

1 pineapple (peeled and chopped)

2 oranges (peeled and chopped)

1 cup sugar

1/2 tbsp lime juice

Method:

Add all the chopped fruits to a blender jar and blend into a smooth puree. Transfer the puree to a deep bottomed pan, along with the sugar. Cook on a medium flame, stirring continuously until it comes to a boil. Once this happens, lower the flame and let it simmer until the puree thickens. Keep stirring at regular intervals, and once the jam reaches a semi-solid consistency, add the lemon juice. Mix well. Keep cooking the jam on low heat until you reach your desired consistency. Store your fresh jam in sterilised and airtight glass jars.

2. Mango Jam

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This scrumptious mango jam is the perfect way to preserve your beloved mangoes and enjoy them throughout the year.

Ingredients:

5 mangoes (peeled and chopped)

1 and 1/2 cups sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Start by blending the mangoes into a smooth pulp without adding any water. In a deep bottomed pan, add the blended pulp, sugar, and lemon juice, and cook it on a medium-high flame. Stir the mixture continuously, and once it starts to bubble, reduce the heat to medium. Continue stirring at regular intervals. Once the excess water has evaporated, the jam will begin to leave the sides of the pan. Turn off the flame, let it cool, and serve as the perfect breakfast accompaniment.

Related: 6 Quick And Easy Mango Drink Recipes You’ll Want Every Day On Repeat

3. Strawberry Jam

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This is one of my favourite fruit jam recipes. It’s the perfect amount of sweet and tart, and the chunks of strawberries make it so much better. Besides, strawberry jam is extremely versatile and can also be added to yoghurts and other dessert items.

Ingredients:

1 and 1/2 cup fresh strawberries (chopped)

1 and 1/4 cup sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method:

Add the chopped strawberries and sugar to a deep bottomed pan. Mix them well and turn on the heat to a low flame. Once the strawberries start leaving their juice, add in the lemon juice, mix well, and increase the heat to medium. Continue to cook until the strawberries soften and then reduce the flame back to low. As the jam begins to thicken, it’ll release a bubbly white foam, just mix it in. Keep stirring the jam routinely, and once the jam starts to leave the sides of the pan, turn the heat off. Let it cool a bit before transferring it to sterilised airtight glass jars. Dump a dollop onto some ice cream and enjoy your delicious fruit sundae.

4. Orange Marmalade

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A warm buttered toast topped with orange marmalade is what English breakfast dreams are made of.

Ingredients:

7-10 oranges

1 and 1/2 cup sugar (or jaggery)

A pinch of cinnamon (optional)

1 tbsp ginger extract

Method:

Slice the oranges using a knife, leaving the peel on. Put the sliced oranges and sugar in a deep bottomed pan and mix them well, so that all slices are coated with sugar. Now, turn the heat to medium-high and let the oranges cook. Stir occasionally and bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Add the cinnamon and ginger extract, mix well, and continue cooking on a low flame until the fruit skin becomes translucent. Once done, transfer the preserve to a blender and pulse blend until it reaches a jam consistency. Alternatively, you can use a hand blender, if available. Pour the preserve in sterilised airtight glass jars and store it in a cool, dry place.

Pro tip: To test whether your fruit jams are ready to be bottled, take a spoonful of jam and drop it on a plate. If there’s some water that separates on cooling, you need to cook the jam for a while longer.

Bookmark these fruit jam recipes for your next Sunday kitchen experiment and you can thank us later.

Related: 5 Recipes For Dips That Will Spice Up Your Next House Party

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