We just got back from a pretty amazing trip to Vietnam and Cambodia. We went there expecting to see life on the Mekong River, gain some understanding of the atrocities of the Khmer regime,  and explore jungle temples. But the fruit! Didn’t see that coming. What better way to bring a taste of Cambodia home than with tropical dragon fruit jam?

There were so many varieties: those like pineapple, coconut, watermelon and  bananas that are common here, but taste so much sweeter and juicer there; exotic fruits that are familiar in the states–like papaya, mango and passionfruit, but are so abundant and delicious in Cambodia. And the last group: fruits I had never heard of before and am really going to miss!

These include durian, mangosteen, lychee, longan (they look like eyeballs!), rambutan and dragonfruit. The last is the edible pod of a flowering cactus and just looks over-the-top-exotic, although it does not have a very strong flavor. Inside, the flesh is white, pink or magenta with many small black seeds.

How we discovered Dragon Fruit Jam

The hotel we stayed at was quite unique.  Each “room” was actually an original Khmer stilt house that had been moved from its existing location and rearranged as a village, complete with exotic landscaping and rice paddies. We weren’t roughing it though, because there was an infinity pool, top of the line linens and toiletries and an amazing breakfast!

Each morning we started with cappuccino, fruit and a bowl of freshly baked baguettes, croissants and pain au chocolate. The bread was accompanied by three small bowls of jam; they were all delicious, but it was the dragon fruit jam that blew us away. I may or may not have licked the bowl clean!

The last morning as we waited for our ride to the airport we asked if the jam was available for sale. They make it fresh every day, so it doesn’t get canned, but the chef was happy to share the ingredients and the outline of the technique. I wasn’t optimistic about recreating this treat until I got home and found dragonfruit in my local supermarket! (You can also apparently buy it frozen at some Target stores).

Ingredient notes

Dragonfruit: I was able to find dragonfruit at the supermarket. It wasn’t the best, but given that the flavor isn’t too pronounced, I think it’s greatest contribution is the tiny black seeds. I haven’t tried it, but I think kiwi might be an acceptable substitute.

Other fruits: I strongly suspect that the chef used fruits that were in season, so it may vary from month to month. Oranges, pineapple and mango are usually always available, but in general the best fruit is the one that is ripest and sweetest.

Sugar: This recipe gives a general guideline, but if your fruit is particularly sweet, you may reduce it a bit. In addition to sweetening, the sugar helps to preserve the jam, so just be aware that if you reduce the sugar it will not keep as long.

Pectin: The Sala Lodges recipe did not include pectin. They basically added a lot of sugar and cooked until it was thick. This is perfectly fine, although it takes longer and needs to be watched carefully to prevent scorching. Pectin is a naturally occuring fiber (from apples) that causes the jam to gel.

Recipe Notes for Dragon Jam

All of the ingredients.

Some jam recipes call for adding water to the fruit to prevent scorching, but I pureed the watermelon instead so it adds liquid plus flavor. This is a shameless reuse of a photo from the watermelon coolers!

Here is the dragonfruit sliced in half. The flesh can be scooped out with a spoon and roughly chopped.

The oranges are used for both the fruit and the rind. Grating only the orange part means that the bitter white pith is left behind. 

After the fruit is cooked down, it is measured to determine the correct amount of sugar to add. 

I made quite a bit, so elected to can the jam. Here it is going into the steam oven.

If you don’t have the equipment or don’t  feel comfortable canning, make a smaller batch or divide and freeze your jam. Share it with a friend. Put it on ice cream or spoon some over pound cake. Sneak a spoonful directly from the fridge. I won’t tell! Just do it!

For more information on water bath canning, please check out this site: Water Bath Canning

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Dragon Fruit Jam (Khmer Marmalade)

Jam made from mixed tropical fruits

Servings 10 half pints

Ingredients

• 2 C watermelon
• 4 C pineapple
• 2 mango
• 1 dragonfruit
• 4 oranges
• * sugar
• 1 envelope pectin

Instructions

• Place a small plate in the freezer. If you plan on canning your jam, sterilize jars and lids. 
• Prepare the fruit: Place watermelon in a blender and puree. Coarsely chop pineapple, mango and dragonfruit. Zest the orange, then peel and coarsely chop the fruit.
• Place all of the fruit in a large pan and cook on medium until the fruit is softened. It will take about twenty minutes, depending upon how much heat you use.
• Put the cooked fruit in a food processor and process until there are no large chunks remaining. Don’t overprocess, though, as you want to keep some texture. 
• Measure the fruit and add 3/4 as much sugar as you have fruit. For example, if you have 4 cups of fruit, add 3 cups of sugar.
• Place the fruit and sugar back in the large pan and cook over medium heat, stirring, until it comes to a full boil. Add the pectin and stir constantly until it returns to a full boil.  Continue stirring for one minute.
• Remove the pan from the heat. Spoon a little of the jam onto the plate that has been in the freezer. Return to the freezer for two minutes. The jam should appear thickened and should wrinkle when you touch the surface. 
• If the jam does not seem thick enough, return it to the heat and boil for another couple of minutes. Repeat the freezer test. 
• The thickened jam is ready to be placed into the sterilized containers. Process for 10 minutes. Remove jars and place on a towel. Do not retighten the rings. Leave jars undisturbed for 12-24 hours.

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