Friday, November 2, 2018

Fig Jam - 2 ways

One of the perks of living in Oregon is the local fruit. Starting from late spring to the fall it is a parade of tasty local fruit.  Hood Strawberries, Raspberries, Marionberries, Tayberries, Blueberries, Blackberries, Plums,Peaches, Nectarines and Figs. Our little neighborhood is home to Plums of 2 varieties, apples, pears and Figs. None in our house; but the neighbors are super friendly and have gotten used to the batty lady that rescues fruit and presents them a bottle of jam.
My latest project was a rescue of some Figs.  Some creative harvesting and I hauled home almost two and half kilos of super sweet figs. These are the green skinned figs with the fruit inside being an amber colour.
The last time I made Fig jam; I used jaggery as the sweetener and added some ginger to it. It was a good jam; the husband liked it but I was disappointed.. all I could taste in the jam was the jaggery and the lime juice I had added to counter the sweetness.  This time I decided to use white sugar  for its neutral taste. The other technique that i used was to cook the jam long and low so that the flavor of the fruit was preserved.
I am very happy with the results - the jam evokes the delicate aroma and taste of the figs. When I eat it in winter I know I will be reminded of the crisp fall day I picked it.  I made 2 batches. The first batch was flavored with lemon and orange peels. The second batch was stewed with a small quantity of whole spices and finished with some orange flower water.



On to the recipe
This recipe will make about 4 8 oz jars of jam

1kg - 1.2 kg  figs - prepped ( 2.2 to 2.6 lbs)
200 gms white sugar  ( 1 cup/0.44 lb)
1/4 c lemon juice

Prepping the figs
Wash the figs and dry them. Take off the stock and break the fig into 2 pieces and add to a bowl. Weigh out the prepped figs. Weigh out sugar equivalent to a fifth of the weight of the figs.   I had close to 1.2 kgs and I chose to use 200gms of sugar because the figs were really sweet.
If you are flavoring with citrus peel; zest the lemons before juicing them.
Mix the figs and the sugar and all but 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice in a large bowl. Stir it all up and allow to macerate at room temperature for 4 hours or overnight or 2 in the fridge.  Once the sugar has dissolved; use kitchen shears and chop up the figs in the bowl to small pieces. Do as I say and not as I did - this is important.. the fruit doesn't break up when it is cooking (as I found out)







For the citrus peel flavored version
Zest 2 lemons in wide strips and then zest an orange the same way. I use a vegetable peeler to do this being careful not to get the pith. Stack up the strips on a cutting board and cut into matchsticks. Put the peel in a saucepan that has a lid and add enough water just to cover the peels. Simmer on a low flame until the peel is tender.

For the spiced version
6 . pods of cardamom
6 peppercorns
2 bay leaves



To make the jam
Wash and prep 4  jam jars (8 oz or equivalent). If you are planning to can it; simmer the lids and get the canning pot going.
Once the fruit has turned syrupy and the sugar has dissolved; tip the contents into a wide skillet with sides. Set 3 spoons on a plate in the freezer (this is to test the set).  Add the spices or the cooked citrus peel to the skillet and bring to a boil  over medium heat; stirring every once in a while.  Your kitchen should be filling up with the heavenly scent of cooking fruit.  The jam is ready to test when the liquid in the pan starts to sheet from your ladle rather than flowing in little droplets. Or if you create a path with the ladle; the gap doesn't get filled in instantly..  Put some jam on a frozen spoon (turn off the stove) and put the spoon back in the freezer. Check after 2 minutes. If you push the jam with your finger and it doesn't flow back immediately; it is done. Otherwise cook the jam in  3 to 5 minute intervals and keep testing. Once it looks done, taste and the last tablespoon of lemon juice. This brightens up the jam.

Once the jam is done; fill it into your prepped bottles, wipe the rim, put on the lids. If you are water bath canning - i put it in for 15 minutes.
If you are not canning; let the bottles completely cool on the counter and store in the fridge or freezer.

As for  how to eat the jam; here are our favorite ways
- warm it and use as an  ice cream topping
- stir it into yogurt
- Almond butter and fig jam sandwich
- As part of a cheese board with a tangy cheese
- Use as a filling in a jam tart.


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