Tips for making delicious homemade coconut jam for Tet holiday

Coconut candy is one of the traditional candies that are essential during the Tet holiday season in Vietnam. During the first few days of the new year, almost every family prepares coconut candy, peanut candy, and chewy mango candy, with a variety of colors, to invite guests to come and enjoy. In fact, you can easily make delicious coconut candy at home with simple ingredients and various methods.

By
Administrator
-
0
139

Ingredients

– Coconut meat: 1 kg

– White sugar

– 50ml unsweetened fresh milk and vanilla extract

Note: If you want to make coconut fiber or coconut balls, it is recommended to choose mature coconuts, which are not too young or too old, with the right hardness and chewiness, which are very suitable for shredding or shaping into balls.

Tools

– Regular bowl, knife, spoon, cutting board…

– Basket, grater…

– Wide pan

Traditional coconut candy ingredients

How to make traditional coconut candy

Step 1: Shred the coconut meat

Peel off the brown outer skin of the coconut. Shred the coconut meat in a circular motion to create thin, unbroken strands.

Shredded coconut meat

Step 2: Clean the coconut meat

After shredding, soak the coconut meat in water and squeeze out excess oil. Repeat this step 2-3 times. Boil a pot of water, add 1 teaspoon of salt, and blanch the coconut meat for 1 minute. Then, scoop it out and rinse it with clean water.

Cleaned coconut meat

Step 3: Marinate the coconut meat with sugar

Put all the coconut meat in a deep bowl. Mix it with a ratio of 1kg coconut meat to 500g sugar. Gently stir to prevent the coconut meat from breaking. Marinate for 4-6 hours. Stir the mixture every 30 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.

Step 4: Roast the coconut meat

Heat a deep pan and add the coconut meat. Roast it over low heat, constantly stirring to prevent it from breaking, ensure even roasting, and prevent burning.

When the mixture becomes thick, add 50ml unsweetened fresh milk and a little vanilla extract for flavoring. Keep the heat low to prevent the coconut meat from turning brown. Continue roasting for 30-45 minutes until the coconut meat is dry and has a white coating. Turn off the heat and continue stirring for a while to let the coconut meat cool before removing it from the pan.

Roasted coconut meat

Spread the coconut candy on a tray and let it cool completely in a cool, airy place, preferably in the sunlight, to prevent the coconut meat from drying out completely and to maintain its firmness and beautiful white color.

How to make colorful coconut candy

A plate of colorful coconut candy will make the traditional candy plate more lively and visually appealing. The method is simple and not as difficult as many people imagine.

Colorful coconut candy

Ingredients

– 1 kg of coconut, 1 kg of white sugar

– 1 bunch of pandan leaves or matcha powder (green color)

– 3 fresh beets (red color)

– 2 carrots or 3 oranges (orange color)

– 1 purple cauliflower or 200g purple sweet potato leaves (purple color)

– 150g fresh turmeric (yellow color)

Instructions for making colorful coconut candy

Step 1: Preparing the coconut

Shred the coconut into strands, then rinse it multiple times to remove excess oil. Boil the shredded coconut with boiling water, then rinse it and let it dry.

Preparing the coconut

Step 2: Creating coconut candy colors

– Green color with pandan leaves: Clean the pandan leaves, cut them into small pieces, and grind them into a paste. Use a cloth to filter and collect the juice, removing any residues. If using matcha powder, dissolve it in 10ml of water.

– Pink color with beets: Peel the beets, grind them into a paste, and extract the juice.

– Orange color: Cut the oranges in half and extract the juice. If using carrots, peel and rinse them, then grind them into a paste and extract the juice.

– Purple color with purple cauliflower: Blanch the purple cauliflower leaves in 1 liter of boiling water. Strain the liquid to remove any impurities. If using purple sweet potato leaves, grind them into a paste and extract the juice.

– Yellow color with fresh turmeric: Peel the fresh turmeric, grind it into a paste, and extract the juice.

Creating coconut candy colors

Step 3: Soaking the ingredients in the colors

Mix the shredded coconut with sugar and divide it into 5 equal parts. Add the colored juice to each part and mix well. Let the ingredients soak in the sugar and color for about 4-6 hours overnight.

Soaking the ingredients in the colors

Step 4: Roasting the coconut candy

Use a wide pan to roast each color separately. Roast over low heat until the coconut candy has a powdery texture similar to the color of the juice. Let it cool completely and you will have colorful coconut candy.

Roasting the colorful coconut candy

Note: Roast each color separately to prevent the colors from mixing.

Above are simple ways to make homemade coconut candy that you can refer to in order to make a delicious and beautiful plate of coconut candy for the upcoming Tet holiday.

Good luck!

You may also like

The Most Common Issue with Coconut Syrup and How to “Fix” It

Many women are initially enthusiastic but later become frustrated as they stir and stir but the jam doesn’t set, or the coconut jam becomes too hard. The most common mistake people make is not achieving a crystallized sugar texture.

To prevent fruit preserves from becoming watery during the Tet holidays, remember these essential principles

The most common types of jams that tend to become runny are coconut jam and pumpkin jam. So how can we prevent jams from becoming runny during the Lunar New Year?

Delicious Homemade Coconut Jam Recipe for Tet Holiday

Coconut jam is one of the familiar traditional jams that cannot be missed during the Tet holiday. In the first few days of the new year, almost every family prepares coconut jam, peanut candy, dried mango jam, … in various colors to invite guests to come and enjoy. In fact, you can completely make delicious coconut jam at home with simple ingredients and different methods.

How to choose delicious coconut for making Tet jam

Did you know that each type of coconut jam needs to be made from different types of coconuts? Let’s explore how to choose delicious coconuts for making Tet jam!

Frequently asked questions

To make delicious homemade coconut jam for the Tet Holiday, you’ll need mature coconuts, preferably ones that are at least 11 months old. First, collect coconut water and meat, then use a blender to create a smooth, creamy mixture. Add sugar, stir continuously over medium heat until it thickens, and you have a delicious coconut jam!

Mature coconuts that are at least 11 months old are preferred because they have thicker and richer meat, which results in a more flavorful and creamy coconut jam. Younger coconuts might not have developed enough flavor and substance to create the desired taste and texture.

To collect coconut water and meat, first, find the three black spots on the coconut. These indicate the softest parts of the shell. Use a nail and a hammer to puncture these spots and drain the water into a container. Then, wrap the coconut in a towel and hit it with a hammer until it breaks into pieces. Separate the white meat from the shell and cut it into small pieces.

The ideal ratio of coconut meat to sugar is approximately 5:3. For every 5 parts of coconut meat, you should add 3 parts of sugar. This ratio ensures that the jam is sweet but not overly so, allowing the natural flavor of the coconuts to shine through.

The cooking time can vary depending on the heat source and the specific ingredients used. Generally, it takes around 30-45 minutes of continuous stirring over medium heat for the mixture to thicken and reach the desired consistency for coconut jam.

Yes, you can definitely experiment with adding other ingredients to enhance the flavor of your coconut jam. Some popular options include a pinch of salt to bring out the sweetness, a few drops of vanilla extract for a subtle vanilla note, or even a hint of lime juice for a tangy twist.

You should store the coconut jam in airtight containers in the refrigerator. It will last for about 2-3 weeks if stored properly. You can also freeze the jam in ice cube trays and then transfer the frozen cubes to a freezer-safe container. This way, it can last for up to 3 months.

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR