Finally, a jam that is high in both sugar and fat! Confiture de Coco/Coconut Jam is delightfully sweet and coconutty with so much potential as a topping or filling for so many sweet treats and desserts.

I first discovered coconut jam while in New Caledonia. I was immediately smitten with it’s taste and dessert potential and so I was very disappointed when I was unable to buy some before I left. I have tried a few different recipes for coconut jam but this one best replicates what I ate in New Caledonia.

Fresh coconut flesh gives the best results. I did try making it with unsweetened desiccated coconut but it wasn’t very good; it was rather chewy. Removing the flesh from the whole coconut and grating it is a little bit of a bother but the results are worth it. I’ve included some step-by-step photos if you’re unsure about how to handle a whole coconut.

One whole coconut will yield enough flesh for this recipe and a little extra for snacking.

The correct place to start is by piercing all three eyes of the coconut, the weakest part of the shell, to drain the coconut water. I lost patience with this step very quickly and simply smacked it really hard with the hammer (it would be wise to wear safety glasses for this; seriously). I did lose some of the coconut water but I caught most of it in a cup.

After draining the coconut water, break the coconut into several pieces using a hammer (and don’t forget the safety glasses!).

With a butter knife, prise the flesh from the outer shell of the coconut.

The brown husk will still be attached to the flesh and this can be easily removed using a vegetable peeler.

By now you’ve made quite a mess so clean up and rinse the coconut flesh to remove any bits of husk and shell that have stuck to it.

Finely grate the coconut flesh using a box grater (or a food processor if you want to save your manicure).

The amount of time it takes to remove and grate the flesh will depend on your coconut. The first time I made this recipe it only took about 20 minutes to compete this part. The flesh on the second coconut I used was very firmly attached and it took much longer. For this coconut it worked better to break the coconut into smaller pieces before trying to remove the flesh/husk from the outer shell.

To make the jam …

250g fresh coconut flesh, finely shredded
1/2 cup (125ml) coconut milk
300g white sugar

Place the finely shredded coconut, coconut milk and sugar in a saucepan and heat over medium heat until it is thick and jam-like and the coconut looks translucent (about 10-15 minutes).

I have stored my coconut jam in the fridge. I’m expecting it to be eaten fairly quickly!