However this Saturday I saw an entire tray of beautiful, perfect fresh figs for the tiny sum of £3.50! How could I leave them? There were over 40 in the tray, forgetting the fact that I am currently in phase 1 of the South Beach diet and am not allowed any fruit for the first two weeks, I bought a tray.
The only solution was to make fig jam, to be enjoyed at a later date when fresh figs are not available.
I firmly believe that jams, preserves, pickles and chutneys should be simple and the flavour of the fruit or vegetable should shine through – fresh figs taste simply divine, so why do some of the recipes for fig jam have additions such and vanilla or cinnamon? So here is a simple fig jam, and my submission for this month’s Sugar High Friday – The Beautiful Fig, hosted this month by Ivonne at Cream Puffs in Venice, its probably not the most inventive submission, but hopefully the longest lasting!
Fig Jam
Ingredients
Fresh figs – cut into 1/4″ pieces
Equal weight of sugar to figs
Juice of half a lemon per pound of figs – needed for pectin to help the jam set
1/8 to 1/4 pint of water per pound of figs depending how ripe figs are
Place all the ingredients in a stockpot or preserving pan, and gently simmer for 40 mins to an hour, stirring from time to time until the jam reaches setting point (put a blob on a chilled plate and pop into the fridge for a few minutes, a skin will form that will wrinkle when you prod it). Pour into warmed sterilised jars and seal. It will improve on keeping – if you can wait that long.
4lb of figs made 7 medium pots of jam.
So easy and so delicious, the fig jam is lovely on bread, in tarts, in steamed pudding it even goes well with blue cheese.
Ivonne
Those are some unbelievably gorgeous figs! I’ve never made fig jam but I’m going to have to try thanks to you.
Thanks so much for taking part in SHF #35!
Hippolyra
Preserving in all its forms is highly addictive! Fortunately all my friends love getting jars of homemade jams, jellies and chutneys.
My fig jam is maturing at the moment, most of the jars have been “bagged” by friends and colleagues already!
Nicisme
Just discovered your blog – great photos and recipes!
Your fig jam looks lovely too, I also made some fig and vanilla jam yesterday – aren’t we lucky?!!
Hippolyra
Hi Nicisme!
Thanks for visiting and commenting.
My boyfriend is greatly enjoying the fig jam – so much so that i have told him he is not allowed to open another jar just yet!
h