Rum & Ube Jam (Halayang Ube)

Ube halaya or halayang ube is a Philippine dessert made from boiled and mashed purple yam. Ube halaya is the main base in ube/purple yam flavored-pastries and ice cream. It can also be incorporated in other desserts such as halo-halo.

Ube Halaya is a well known dessert grown & loved by many in the Philippines. It is also known as Ube jam which is the main base and key ingredient in most of my Ube/purple yam flavored-desserts.

‘Halaya’ derives from the Spanish word ‘jalea’ which means jam. This purple jam is obviously made from Ube (purple yam) which is grated and/or mashed. It also serves as a natural food coloring agent. It almost has a sweet sort of nutty taste that is very subtle and mild. This mixture includes a variety of sweet dairies, stirred until thickened.

Ube halaya is typically served cold, after refrigerated. It can be eaten plain or as a spread. Just think of it as almost like an Asian pumpkin butter. But because Ube is such a versatile veggie, it can be incorporated in many different dessert varieties.

This purple goodness is prepared from scratch which typically takes me about 2-2.5hrs to cook made with fresh Ube root, and a lot of bicep work .You can also buy Ube halaya pre made at your local Filipino supermarkets or some larger Asian markets. This enticing dessert is almost too beautiful to eat!

Rum & Ube Jam Recipe

Ingredients:

• 1 can unsweetened coconut milk (Chaokoh brand)
• 1 1/4 cup sugar
• Pinch of salt
• 16 oz. frozen grated purple yam, thawed
• 1 tablespoon coconut oil
• (Optional) 1 tablespoon dark rum

Instructions:

1. Using a rubber spatula, stir together the coconut milk, sugar, salt, and purple yam in a large saucepan over high heat.
2. Bring everything to a boil, while stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium, or medium-low, and continue to simmer and stir until the mixture thickens, being sure to scrape the bottom of the pot with the spatula to prevent scorching. If the mixture bubbles too much, reduce heat to low.
3. Continue to simmer the mixture, stirring until it becomes the consistency of thick cake batter and begins to pull away from the sides of the pot, about 30 minutes total. Remove from heat.
4. Stir in the coconut oil and continue to mix until the oil is completely incorporated into the jam. Stir in the rum as well until completely incorporated.
5. Allow the mixture to cool slightly in the pan, then transfer the warm mixture to jars or containers. Store at room temperature for easier spreading. If storing in the refrigerator, allow jam to come to room temp before using so it is easier to spread.