Karonda Jam Recipe | Glutenfreewhisk

 Making jam at home is really simple and the flavors of this jam are exceptional. Call it a marmalade or just jam, this recipe deserves all the love because karonda are in season and you should make the most of them. I have karonda tree at my home for about 10 or 11 years and for the initial years I never used them. But with maybe 2 seasons passing of me ignoring them and plucking an occasional 1-2 tangy karonda, I finally decided to make jam. And it turned out to be amazing. It lasted so long and the taste was great. Then I made another batch for my Masi one season and trust me when I say this, she still uses it. 

I have also tried making a sweet and tangy version of karonda chutney, but I prefer this sweet jam more so sharing this homemade karonda jam recipe with you. Although, I am making a small batch of it because I don't eat jam anymore but this batch, I am going to finish very soon that's for sure. You will find a lot of karonda jam recipes on the internet with almost everyone blending the fruit and passing it through a sieve but I have never done it and I will not do it because I like to have that soft bite and I don't mind have the fruit, the fiber intake it good. That's why I said call it a marmalade or jam because it qualifies for both. Also, I am not big not market style texture/ consistency or anything like that. If it's homemade it should be simple and easy so that you will want to make it again without feeling fussy.

I have used brown sugar and what I have noticed that brown sugar gives a different sweetness than white one. You can use any. You can even use jaggery if you like. I have tried making karonda jam with jaggery as well but the taste the sugar jam has is unmatched. Brown sugar also provided a darker shade to the jam as you can see in the recipe video on the YouTube channel which I like. You can make you pick as to which sweetener you would like to prefer for this recipe. In terms of flavors the best thing for me in this karonda jam recipe is the fennel seeds. I am adding whole fennel seeds because I like the mouth feel, the occasional bite from the fennel and it works so well with karonda that you cannot skip it. 

When loquat fruit was in the season, I shared a loquat chutney recipe which initially I wanted to make as a jam but them while cooking I decided to make it sweet, salty, spicy chutney like thing and it turned out to be a great recipe or rather a great way to eat loquat. For more chutney recipes you can try my coconut chutney recipe with roasted chana or winter special bhang ki chutney recipe. Also, if you are a raw mango lover then check my panchphoran mango chutney recipe it is so tasty and addictive that you will make jars of it and store it.

Karonda is a tangy berry in Indian subcontinents and is also known as Bengal Current or Christ's thorn. The scientific name is Carissa carandas. It has white flowers and the fruit first pops up white then changes to shaded of light to dark red becoming ripe. Karonda being sour is definitely rich in vitamin C and it is also great for immunity, digestive health and skin health. If you love tangy food, then karanda is something you must have enjoyed as sabzi or chutney. It is also anti-inflammatory and is rich in antioxidants. Include this fruit in your diet because it is only available in abundance during mid to late monsoon season and the fruits lasts till early autumn. The tree is evergreen but fruits only once a year typically.

I enjoyed my karonda jam recipe with homemade gluten-free rice flour bread, and it is jammy, flavorful and super yummy. So, make your own preservative, additive free jam at home and indulge.

INGREDIENTS -

20-25 ripe karonda (about half a cup)

Brown Sugar, as per taste

2 tsp green cardamom powder 

1 tsp fennel seeds

half a tsp cinnamon powder 

Water

1 tbsp ghee

METHOD -

1. First wash and clean the karonda. Cut each karonda into half and remove the seeds from the center.

2. Now in a pan take the ghee add these deseeded karonda halves with water enough to just soak them in. Cover and cook until the karondas are soft.

3. Once they are 60-80% soft add brown sugar. Adjust it according to the sourness of karonda used. You should add enough sugar so that it does not taste tangy as the goal is to make a sweet jam.

4. Then add whole fennel seeds, green cardamom powder and cinnamon powder and cook it until all the liquid is evaporated and the sugar starts to become sticky.

5. Switch off the heat timely because upon cooling the jam will thicken. 

6. Once it is completely cooled fill it in an airtight jar and store it in the refrigerator.

Note - This no preservatives karonda jam can last for months and months in the refrigerator if taken care of. Use any sweetener of choice like jaggery, white sugar or anything healthier will also do.

Check the full recipe on YouTube (Gluten_free_whisk) - Karonda jam recipe.

Karonda Jam Recipe | Glutenfreewhisk