Fresh Fig Jam Recipes

Steps:

• Place the orange zest and orange juice in a medium (10-inch) heavy-bottomed pot or Dutch oven, such as Le Creuset. Add the sugar, vanilla bean, and figs to the pot. Cover and bring to a full boil over medium heat. (Don't worry; it may look dry.) Stir the mixture and boil hard for 1 minute, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Lower the heat, and cook uncovered at a full simmer for 50 minutes to 1 hour 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. You want the little bubbles to be throughout the pot, not just at the edges. After 45 minutes, refrigerate a small amount of the liquid to see if it becomes syrupy. It should be like a soft fruit preserve. Keep cooking just until the liquid starts to gel when cold. If the liquid is too firm, add a little orange juice or water, cook for a minute, and test it again until it's right. Depending on how ripe the figs are, they will probably keep their shape, but it's fine if they don't. Discard the vanilla bean and serve or refrigerate.

Steps:

• Place the figs in a 4-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Pour in 1 1/2 cups water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the figs soften and the liquid begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.
• Add the rosemary and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the syrup thickens, the figs are mostly broken down and the jam goes from a rapid boil to slow bubbles, about 25 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary.
• Stir in the lemon zest and juice and kosher salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another minute for a runnier jam or up to 8 minutes if you prefer a thicker jam. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice and salt as needed. (Adding lemon juice will thin the jam, but it does thicken as it cools.) The jam should be sweet and tart with a hint of fresh rosemary.
• Transfer to sterilized jars and can, or cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Steps:

• Bring boiling-water canner, half full with water, to simmer. Wash jars and screw bands in hot soapy water; rinse with warm water. Pour boiling water over flat lids in saucepan off the heat. Let stand in hot water until ready to use. Drain well before filling.
• Trim stem ends from figs. Finely chop or grind fruit. Measure exactly 5 cups prepared fruit into 6- or 8-qt. saucepot. Stir in lemon juice and water.
• Stir pectin into fruit in saucepan. Add butter to reduce foaming. Bring mixture to full rolling boil (a boil that doesn't stop bubbling when stirred) on high heat, stirring constantly. Stir in sugar. Return to full rolling boil and boil exactly 1 min., stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Skim off any foam with metal spoon.
• Ladle immediately into prepared jars, filling to within 1/4 inch of tops. Wipe jar rims and threads. Cover with two-piece lids. Screw bands tightly. Place jars on elevated rack in canner. Lower rack into canner. (Water must cover jars by 1 to 2 inches. Add boiling water, if necessary.) Cover; bring water to gentle boil. Process 10 min. Remove jars and place upright on towel to cool completely. After jars cool, check seals by pressing middles of lids with finger. (If lids spring back, lids are not sealed and refrigeration is necessary.)

Steps:

• In a food processor place sugar, lavender, and ginger process to make the ginger and lavender into bits. The sugar will become somewhat powdered. Place into a large heavy bottom pot.
• Place the figs and lemon juice and zest into the processor and pulse 5 to 6 times just to a coarse chop. Add to pot with sugar.
• Heating to a slow boil then raise heat to a fast rolling boil for 15 minutes stirring most the time. At this point you`ll see the juice turn vibrant dark red and it is pretty syrupy. Add the pine nuts.
• Spoon into sterilized jars.
• Process for 10 minutes in a hot water bath.

Steps:

• Put the figs and 150ml water in a large heavy based saucepan. Bring to a simmer and gently bubble for 5 mins or until the figs have softened and released their juices. Add the orange zest, sugar and lemon juice. Bring to a boil and cook, stirring regularly for around 5-7 mins or until thick, skimming off any skum that rises to the surface. Remove from the heat and leave to sit for 10 mins.
• Ladle the mixture into sterilised jars. Seal with the lids and leave to cool completely. Will keep for six months unopened and 2 weeks in the fridge once opened.

Steps:

• Place the figs in a large pot or a Dutch oven and add the water. Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then decrease the heat to medium-low to maintain a gentle simmer. Cook until the figs are completely soft and tender, about 15 minutes.
• In a food processor fitted with the metal blade or in a blender, purée the figs and their cooking liquid (if using a blender, don't fill the jar more than halfway, as the hot liquid might burst through the top when the blender is turned on). Or, pass the figs through a food mill.
• Return the purée to the pot. Stir in the sugar and lemon juice. Cook over medium heat until thickened, stirring constantly to prevent the mixture from burning on the bottom, until the jam is thick appears slightly jelled. (Because figs are low in pectin, the wrinkle test, page 256, won't work with this jam.)
• Ladle the jam into clean jars. Cover tightly, let cool, and refrigerate.
• Storage
• The jam will keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.
• Variation
• Before ladling into jars, stir in 1/2 cup (80 g) coarsely chopped Soft-Candied Citrus Peel (page 253) made with lemons.

Steps:

• Bring all ingredients except argan oil and lemon peel to boil in large saucepan. Simmer until mixture is syrupy and figs are tender, stirring often, about 25 minutes. Add more water by 1/4 cupfuls if mixture is too thick. Remove cinnamon stick. Transfer mixture to processor; pulse until almost smooth. Mix in argan oil and lemon peel.
• Cover jam and chill. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Steps:

• Place figs in pot and add the sugar, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon and salt.
• Combine ingredients and begin mashing them using a potato masher or fork. They should mash quite easily if they are ripe. (You can also use a blender) Leaving little chunks is nice to give the jam more interest.
• Turn heat to medium high and bring to a strong simmer. Stir occasionally.
• Cover the pot and turn the heat down so that the fig mixture simmers steadily for 1 hour.
• Give the mixture an occasional stir and make sure it does not burn or scorch. This is especially important in the last 1/2 hour. You'll see it begin to thicken.
• After an hour, remove the cover and cook for another 5-10 minutes or until the jam is thick.
• Cool completely - it will continue to thicken as it cools.
• Fill your containers and freeze the ones you want to use later.