For a lot of people, the first thing that comes to mind when anyone brings up ube halaya is Good Shepherd. The Baguio stalwart is synonymous with the purple jam, with every tourist visiting the City of Pines always bringing at least one jar home. But for those who can't just drive off to the North or at least buy from the sisters' online shop, you can make your own ube jam at home.
It's actually pretty easy to make; it can just get a bit tedious having to wait for the purple yam to boil, then peeling it after. But if you're an expert in making mashed potatoes, then this should be a walk in the park.
Ingredients
- 900g ube (purple yam)
- 1 300g can condensed milk
- 1 ½–2 cups evaporated milk
- ½ cup powdered milk
- ⅓ cup white sugar
Boil ube: Bring a pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the purple yam/ube and boil until soft, about 2 hours. Drain ube and set aside. Once cool enough to handle, peel ube and dice it into large pieces.
Cook halaya: In a deep pot over medium heat, combine condensed milk, evaporated milk, powdered milk, and sugar. Stir well with a wooden spatula until powdered milk and sugar dissolve. Add diced ube and cook, stirring constantly, while breaking them into tiny pieces. Continue stirring until thickened. Evaporated milk may be added in small amounts to adjust the consistency. Remove ube halaya from heat and let cool before transferring to a sterilized jar or container. Serve immediately or store in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.
Notes
Slicing the purple yam into small pieces before boiling can reduce the cooking time. You can also boil them using a pressure cooker.
