• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Foreign Fork logo
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
    • Search by Interactive Map
    • African Recipes
    • Asian Recipes
    • Caribbean Recipes
    • Central American Recipes
    • European Recipes
    • Middle Eastern Recipes
    • North American Recipes
    • Oceanic Recipes
    • South American Recipes
    • Search by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Drinks
      • Breads
      • Soups
      • Main Courses
      • Sauces
      • Side Dishes
      • Desserts
    • Search by Ingredient
      • Beef Recipes
      • Chicken Recipes
      • Potato Recipes
      • Rice Recipes
      • Seafood Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Be Featured on TFF!
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • Home
  • Recipe Index
    • Search by Interactive Map
    • African Recipes
    • Asian Recipes
    • Caribbean Recipes
    • Central American Recipes
    • European Recipes
    • Middle Eastern Recipes
    • North American Recipes
    • Oceanic Recipes
    • South American Recipes
    • Search by Course
      • Breakfast
      • Appetizers
      • Drinks
      • Breads
      • Soups
      • Main Courses
      • Sauces
      • Side Dishes
      • Desserts
    • Search by Ingredient
      • Beef Recipes
      • Chicken Recipes
      • Potato Recipes
      • Rice Recipes
      • Seafood Recipes
  • About
  • Contact
  • Be Featured on TFF!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home » Breakfast

    How to Make Jam

    Published on Oct 18, 2019 Modified: Jan 24, 2022 by Alexandria Drzazgowski.

    Jump to Recipe

    One of the most popular desserts in Cabo Verde is goat cheese with papaya jam. You may not have had papaya jam before, but you’re going to want to try it… and I’m going to teach you how to make it! Or, if you’d prefer to make this recipe with a different fruit instead, just trade out the papaya in this papaya jam recipe and replace it with the fruit that you prefer more. 

    Front view of a jam jar with a spoon sticking out of it

    I’m not a huge fan of papayas. I don’t think that they’re sweet enough for me, so I oftentimes choose to stay away from them. That is, of course, unless the papayas are made into papaya jam. Then they are sweet and delicious and perfect for pairing with toast OR dessert. 

    If you want to learn how to make this recipe with papayas like I am, that’s perfect. But if, instead, you’d prefer to use strawberries, or blueberries or raspberries, you’re free to do that, too. Just replace the 2 cups of papaya with 2 cup of your preferred fruit instead. 

    Jump to:
    • What Ingredients are in this Recipe? 
    • How to Make Jam
    • Which Sugar Should I Use to Make Jam? 
    • What is Pectin? 
    • How to Make Jam without Pectin 
    • When to Make Jam
    • How Long will Homemade Jam Last in the Fridge? 
    • Homemade Jam with Papaya

    What Ingredients are in this Recipe? 

    • Fruit (in my case, papaya) 
    • Sugar
    • Lime juice 
    • Vanilla 

    How to Make Jam

    Add all of your ingredients into a small pot, and mix them to combine. 

    Cook over medium heat until the ingredients in pot begin to boil. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer at a low, rolling boil for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. 

    Cook until the desired consistency is reached. The jam should hold its own shape when you run a rubber spatula through it. 

    Another way to test is to chill a plate in the refrigerator and then, when you think your jam is done, add a small spoonful of it to the chilled plate. If it holds its shape and does not melt across the plate, it is ready. 

    Which Sugar Should I Use to Make Jam? 

    I typically use white, granulated sugar to make jam. This is the best as the granules dissolve more evenly and create a perfect jam texture. You could also use caster sugar if you so prefer. 

    The last option is to use “jam sugar” which is granulated sugar with pectin added in. This is an option if you’d like to store your product in your pantry instead of needing to keep it cold in your refrigerator.

    What is Pectin? 

    Pectin is a naturally-occurring starch that is found in the cell walls of fruits and vegetables. It is a common ingredient when making jams or jellies, because heating the pectin to 220 degrees Fahrenheit will cause it to gel. This is a good way to ensure that your jam or jelly reaches your desired consistency.

    Unlike gelatin, pectin is made from fruits and vegetables so it is both vegetarian and vegan. Some fruits or vegetables have higher amounts of pectin than others. 

    How to make jam Pinterest graphic

    How to Make Jam without Pectin 

    As you can see, my recipe does not use pectin. This is because papaya typically has a lot of naturally-occurring pectin, so it is unnecessary to add more. 

    Some fruits display lower amounts of pectin, particularly berries. If you use berries or fruit that is very ripe, you may need to compensate by adding more sugar or longer cook times in order to get your jam to gel in the correct way. 

    If you are using very soft fruits, I would recommend using 1 ¼ cups of sugar instead of 1 cup. 

    When to Make Jam

    Jam is best made, of course, when the fruit that you are making it with is fresh and in-season. This means that you should base your jam schedule off of in-season fruit. Blueberries are best in the summer, whereas papayas are in season during the fall. 

    How Long will Homemade Jam Last in the Fridge? 

    Because your homemade jam is not canned with preservatives, it will have a shorter shelf life than store-bought version. You can save your jar for about 2-3 weeks in the fridge, but if you’d like to keep it for longer, the better option is to freeze it. 

    Save This Recipe Form

    Save This Recipe!

    Enter your email below & we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!

    A jar of papaya jam with a spoon sticking out of the top with appetizers in the background.

    Homemade Jam with Papaya

    This jam recipe features papayas, but you can also customize it with whatever fruit you'd prefer to make
    5 from 5 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, condiment, Snack
    Cuisine: cabo verde
    Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time: 12 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 17 minutes minutes
    Servings: 3 cups
    Calories: 301kcal
    Author: Alexandria Drzazgowski

    Equipment

    • Rubber Spatula
    • Pot(s)
    • Citrus Juicer

    Ingredients

    • 2 cups papaya, ripe and mashed
    • 1 cup granulated sugar
    • 1 tsp vanilla
    • Juice of 1 Lime

    Instructions

    • Add all of your ingredients into a small pot, and mix them to combine.
    • Cook over medium heat until the ingredients in pot begin to boil. Turn the heat down and allow to simmer at a low, rolling boil for about 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
    • Cook until the desired consistency is reached. The jam should hold its own shape when you run a rubber spatula through it.

    Notes

    Recipe copyright The Foreign Fork. For educational or personal use only. 

    Nutrition

    Serving: 1cup | Calories: 301kcal | Carbohydrates: 77g | Protein: 0.4g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Sodium: 8mg | Potassium: 173mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 74g | Vitamin A: 887IU | Vitamin C: 57mg | Calcium: 19mg | Iron: 0.3mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @TheForeignFork or tag #TheForeignFork!

    More Breakfast Recipes

    • A bowl of crispy Ribel topped with granulated sugar and fruit jam, ready to be served.
      Ribel (Toasted Cornmeal Breakfast from Liechtenstein)
    • A slice of Ejja on a plate with a fork.
      Ejja (Breakfast Frittata) from Libya
    • A creamy mango milk served in a clear glass mug with a green-striped straw, surrounded by fresh mango cubes and spices on a wooden board.
      Mango Milk (Jus de Fruit)
    • A refreshing Açaí Na Tigela layered with granola, sliced bananas, strawberries, blueberries, and a drizzle of creamy topping.
      Brazilian Açaí Bowls (Açaí na Tigela)

    Sharing is caring!

    1783 shares

    Breakfast

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Lynda Beaulieu says

      November 16, 2024 at 4:16 pm

      5 stars
      Ok so the papaya-guava came out guava-forward, but you won’t hear me complain. The guava prep is more labor intensive, and the color is not as pretty. But you still get the benefit of the papaya enzymes. It came out the consistency of apple butter, so I am calling it Papaya-Guava Butter. Lol

      Reply
      • Alexandria Drzazgowski says

        November 19, 2024 at 2:09 pm

        So interesting, Lynda!! Thank you for reporting back with the results! That sounds delicious.

        Reply
    2. Lynda Beaulieu says

      November 16, 2024 at 3:10 pm

      5 stars
      Today I am trying papaya-guava jam. It is cooking down now. Don’t know what it’s going to taste like, but I love guava, so, how bad could it be?

      Reply
    3. Lynda says

      September 22, 2024 at 4:47 pm

      I love this small batch recipe!!! I grow papaya so I had to try it. Most jelly/jam recipes make so much and for just the two of us it’s just right! I used to make those large batches, and wish I could, but my back gives out. I’ve also used this recipe to make concord grape. I had to strain it though because they have big seeds. I can’t wait to try other fruit!

      Reply
      • Alexandria Drzazgowski says

        September 26, 2024 at 10:36 am

        Hi Lynda, I’m so glad you love this recipe! You’re right, it’s perfect for two 🙂 Concord grape sounds delicious as well! Feel free to come back and let me know what other fruits you try, I would love to hear about it!

        Reply
    4. Deidra says

      July 31, 2022 at 3:22 pm

      5 stars
      I made this today and it is amazing! I doubled the recipe, so it took longer to boil down to a jam consistency.

      Reply
      • The Foreign Fork says

        August 01, 2022 at 12:50 pm

        Hurray, I’m so glad you liked it Deidra! Thank you for leaving a review!

        Reply
    5 from 5 votes (2 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    What are you looking for?

    Welcome to The Foreign Fork, I'm Alexandria!

    And I am cooking one meal from every country in the world. 196 countries, and we’re cooking them all… Welcome to the adventure! 

    Learn More

    Footer

    • Home
    • About
    • Contact
    • Press
    • Privacy Policy
    • Accessibility Statement

    Copyright © 2025 The Foreign Fork

    Pinterest image for how to make papaya jam.
    1783 shares

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.