A simple homemade mango ginger jam recipe full of fresh flavors and ingredients (no pectin required)! It is a great addition to toasts, smoothies, or oatmeal!

Half empty jam jar next to a piece of toast.

I have been INHALING mangos in recent months. Don't tell the other fruits... but mangos are probably my favorite of them all! In addition to my love of mangos, I also love any sauce, dip, or spread. If you've read my aioli post, then you know that for me, no meal is complete without an array of spreads on the table.

Typically, I have a piece of toast for breakfast every morning. Vegan butter, mashed avocado, and vegan cream cheese (Tofutti has been my go-to lately) are all on the rotation for what gets spread on my toast. But, recently, I have been craving some more fresh and summery. So, I decided to put my favorite fruit to work and make a homemade mango ginger jam!

Jam vs. Jelly vs. Marmalade vs. Preserves

Overhead of homemade mango jam on a saucer.

Before diving into the recipe, I thought it would be interesting to go over what the heck the difference is between jelly, jam, marmalade, and preserves. Many people use the four terms interchangeably. They are all the same in that they involve fruit, sugar, and heat. But, they differ in their cooking process and which fruits they use. Here is the basic gist:

Jelly - This is the most smooth of all of the options. You can make jelly using fresh fruit or fruit juice. However, if the jelly does use fresh fruit, it is strained out, leaving a clear and gelatinous consistency.
Jam - Jam is like jelly's rebellious sibling! Whereas for jelly, you strain out the fruit chunks, you leave the chunks in with jam. The fruit and sugar are cooked down to become a spreadable consistency.
Preserves - Preserves are a lot like jam, but even thicker! Instead of chopping up the fruit like you would to make jam, you will find whole fruit or large chunks of fruit in preserves.
Marmalade - This is a type of preserve with the addition of some citrus. You make it from both the juice and the peel of any citrus fruit (i.e., orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc.). Traditionally, some citrus chunks are left throughout the marmalade.

Ingredients Needed for This Recipe

Homemade mango jam in a glass jar on a saucer.

The ingredients list for this mango ginger jam is simple:

Water
Ginger
Cinnamon
Star anise
Fresh rosemary
Vegan butter
Mango
White wine
White sugar
Lemon zest
Fresh-squeezed orange juice

Tips for Making Homemade Jam

A full jar of homemade jam on a plate with a piece of toast.

Which types of mango work best for making jam?
The most common mango variety that I see in grocery stores is Tommy Adkins mangos. These are the large red/green colored mangos. They have a thick flesh and are mildly sweet. Honey mangos I also see pretty often, and these are my preferred choice. They are a golden color, and much smaller than Tommy Adkins mangos, and golden in color. They are super creamy and have less of a fibrous texture compared to Tommy Adkins mangos.

Do you need pectin for this recipe?
Pectin is used in a lot of jam and jelly recipes to get that super gel-like consistency. You can actually buy pectin, but it does exist naturally in some fruits. For example, mangos are naturally low in pectin. However, oranges and lemons have high levels of pectin, so that is why I add some orange juice and lemon zest to this recipe! We don't need to add any pectin for this recipe and will just be using the natural pectin that exists in the oranges and lemons to get the consistency we want.

Can I switch out the fruit in this recipe?
Definitely - if mangos aren't your thing, feel free to replace them with whichever fruit you'd like!

What can I put this mango ginger jam on?
You can enjoy this jam with soooo many things! Besides toast, you can put this jam on crackers, top desserts like cookies, cheesecakes, or puddings with it, or add it to smoothies, yogurts, or sandwiches. This article is full of clever ways to use up your jam!

How do you store this jam?
This jam can be stored in an airtght container in your refrigerator for 1-2 months (if it even lasts that long)!

Overhead of a jam jar with a spoon full of jam on top of a magazine.

I hope this mango ginger jam will become a new staple for you because it's:

Citrusy
Fresh
Easy
Only 11 ingredients
Versatile
Delicious

Let me know if you try out this mango ginger jam, and if you do, I would love it if you left a rating and review below! Make sure you are also following along on Instagram and Pinterest for more food inspiration.