Durian Jam

        Durian Season has begun! And with it comes the great opportunity to stock up on this prized king of Fruits via jams, preserves, candies, etc. In time for the Kadayawan Festival, we expect the prices to go down even further.

        I am particularly not a big fan of eating Durian Fruit fresh from the pod, unlike most Davaoenos. But am a big fan of Durian pie, Durian cake, Durian candies and Durian jam. 

        Now that the prices have gone down from a regular high of PhP 70 -80/kilogram, each kilo now sells for PhP 35/kilogram. That means abundant feasting for every Juan. ( Juan is a common John Doe name for every Filipino ).

Durian

Creamy, yummy, thick meat

        So, I am sharing to you the simplest, most authentic tasting, no-fuss, easy to make Durian Jam to take you to Durian heaven, fast. But before that, allow me to share a few facts about Durian:

        Durian can cause weight gain. Why? because one seed contains as much as 68 calories, so if an individual finishes one whole fruit, which is about 1 kilogram, that would be around 1,680 calories. Though rich in nutrients, Durian has high caloric value and may be damaging to your waistline.

        Durian also has a heating effect. Eating Durian commonly causes the body to heat up. Some people react after just one seed, others after 3 or more. Some even sweat profusely as a result. So this is not recommended for Diabetics and those with high blood pressure. So, just for the heck of it, one seed should suffice to kill the urge. Please have the discipline to not go overboard. Your heart and health will thank you for it.

        Davao City's alter-ego is Durian City. There was a time in history when people wanted to rename the city of Davao into Durian City. The name became popular but now, it is considered a nickname.

         In Davao City, three premium varieties are Puyat, Arancillo and Chanee. The rest are second class and third class varieties. The premium varieties have really thick meat and almost yellow-orange in color, while the rest have off-white to cream colored meat. For this recipe, any variety will do. But you will still prefer to get the premium meaty kind simply because they are creamier.

         So, now onto our Durian Jam!

My Durian jam, didn't last one day!

INGREDIENTS:

Meat of all the seeds in one Kilogram of durian
8 Tablespoons white sugar
1/2 tsp salt.

PROCEDURE:

1. Place the Durian meat in a non-stick pot or pan. Add the sugar and salt and stir to mix.

2. Turn heat on to medium-low and stir constantly, making sure you don't scorch the Durian meat.  Durian jam is done when the consistency becomes thick and no longer spreads to the sides of the pan. Another test would be to cool a small amount and stick your finger into the jam, if it doesn't stick to the finger, it is done.

3. Durian jam maybe stored in glass or plastic containers and will  last up to one month. But I doubt if it will last one day in your kitchen. Those who abhor Durian smell will easily love this as a spread on toast, crackers or directly from a spoon.

Store-bought  Durian jam sells for PhP 120 and above

Note: Durian has a very pervasive smell and might stay in your kitchen for longer than you want. Simply boil lemons in a cup of water and allow the lemon scent to neutralize the strong odor.  This recipe allows you to enjoy the abundant fruit without needing to eat everything in one go. And you get to enjoy humongous savings because store-bought Durian jam sells for at least PhP 120 and up, while this entire recipe is less than PhP 50 or a little over a dollar.  Enjoy!