Incredibly rich and tasty, jackfruit is every jam maker’s dream fruit. So for today’s recipe, we want to show you how you can make a delicious jackfruit jam at home using only the fresh, ripe fruit – with no added sugar!
If you’ve ever tasted ripe jackfruit, we bet you’ve loved it instantly, and when you eat it for the first time, you’ll be delighted.
Different from the young green fruit, the mature jackfruit has bright yellow pods, juicy and sweet. Its flavor is a wonderful cross between three delicious tropical fruits: mangoes, bananas and pineapple. So good!
If you have a local food market that sells ripe jackfruit, you can buy a large chunk there and we’ll show you how to clean, deseed and prepare the fruit for making jam.
Alternatively, you can opt for canned fruit, which should be available in well-stocked supermarkets or online.
However, make sure you buy ripe jackfruit (it’s yellow) and not the young green fruit that’s often used as a vegan meat substitute. (By the way, we have plenty of green jackfruit recipes if you want to experiment with them!)
Why did we say jackfruit is awesome for making jam?
That’s because jackfruit is so sweet and “meaty” but low in water. So you can turn it into a thick jam without the need to add sugar or pectin! Great.
We have quite a bit of experience on how to make sugar free jams and jackfruit has proven to be the easiest fruit so far.
In just 30 minutes you can make a nice big jar of jackfruit jam without filling it with unnecessary sugar.
Once ready, you can enjoy it on toast or use it in desserts and casseroles – check our FAQ section for delicious recipe ideas!
And if you’re craving more tropical jam, why not try this papaya jam or this mango apple jam? They’re both sugar-free and super healthy!
frequently asked Questions
Green jackfruit vs. ripe jackfruit – which one for jam?
You must use ripe jackfruit to make jam: the riper it is, the sweeter and tastier the jam will be
Jackfruit is called green or young jackfruit when it is immature. It has light green, firm flesh and a very fine taste.
Ripe jackfruit, on the other hand, has bright yellow, juicy, and sweet-smelling fruit pods. Its taste is a cross between banana, pineapple and mango.
How to clean and prepare ripe jackfruit for jam?
If you bought a nice big chunk of ripe jackfruit from the local market, you’ll need to pull out the yellow pods and core them before using them.
To do this, cut off the white and narrow fiber strands that hold the pods together, and then separate the pods (also called seeds) from the hard shell.
Very important: Before you start, you must Oil your hands and knife as these strands give off a super sticky milky liquid that is difficult to remove even with soap.
When you’ve loosened all the pods, open them and remove the hard seed and the brownish membrane holding it.
Finally, finely chop the ripe jackfruit pulp and make jam out of it.
How does jackfruit jam taste?
Because jackfruit jam is made from ripe jackfruit, it has a wonderfully sweet and tropical flavor.
Its flavor is a delicious cross between mangoes and ripe bananas with hints of acidity like pineapple.
And since jackfruit has a low water content, the jam naturally turns out thick and creamy, almost as silky as a custard.
What can I do with this jackfruit jam?
This homemade tropical jackfruit jam is delicious and versatile, and you can use it in many desserts, baked goods, and treats.
Here are some tasty jackfruit jam ideas that we think you’ll enjoy: