
Fig Tree full of fruit
“In fact, people who posses no magic at all can instill their home-cooked meals with love and security and health, transforming ingredients and bringing disparate people together as family and friends. There’s a reason that when opening one’s home to guests, the first thing you do is offer food and drink. Cooking is a kind of everyday magic.”
― Juliet Blackwell
We have a very ignored fig tree in the back garden. It’s been ignored because last year, the summer we moved here, the birds and fruit bats must have swallowed them whole since we didn’t catch sight of anything larger than a green marble. This year the tree is loaded and we made Fig and Apple Jam. The recipe is called simply Fig Jam, but the apples have been added to add more bulk and flavour. We also found some lovely lemons on our tree. The apples we bought and are organic.
Here is the delicious and easy recipe. (Recipe and instructions in blue)
1 1/2 pounds of figs
1 1/2 pounds apples
2 lemons (juice and rind)
2 pounds sugar
1 1/2 pounds of apples
Method
Slice the figs, peel, core and finely slice apples.
~
Slice the lemon and juice them. Reserve the liquid and finely slice the rind and any remaining flesh.
I used my trusty fine slicer to get the apples and lemon rind finely sliced. Since the figs cook quickly this helps the mixture to cook more quickly without losing any flavour.
~
~
Put the figs, apples, lemon juice and rind into the pan and cook slowly until tender.
Then add the sugar and boil rapidly.
~
~
We prefer a smooth jam so we mashed a few large pieces of apple we missed. If you prefer a chunkier jam you can leave the apple pieces larger, just make sure they are very tender.
The sugar will dissolve immediately when added to the pan as the lemon juice and other fruit juices have already made a juice hot enough to dissolve the sugar.
Test for set after it has been boiling for about 15 minutes. (If you like it thicker you may want to cook it for a few minutes longer.
Ensure your jars are ready, sterilised and hot. The hot jam will crack a cool jar.
~
~
It is not considered advisable to allow figs to stand overnight with sugar, as fermentation sets in rapidly if figs are wet or ripe.
~
Make sure the jars are sealed as soon as they are filled so that a firm airtight seal is created. Jam will last as long as it takes people to eat it.
The finished batch, from start to finish, (our first time with this recipe) was one hour.
~ ~We had to try some on toast. It is delicious!~
I managed to make this yesterday, after my bath rejuvenated me. I need to report that one jar of jam is almost finished. In our defense it was a small jar!
I hope you enjoy it.
Blessings, Susan x
© Susan Jamieson 2014
Yum! And thank you. Lucky you to have your own private fig tree. Enjoy….xo
LikeLike
I’ve just ordered more bottles since I can’t empty enough to continue to make jams. I’m promising myself a sweet orange marmalade and a mandarin marmalade in between the fig jams. I will share the recipe…
Susan x
LikeLike
When I saw the headline I thought, F&^$ I’m Good Just Ask Me. I was wrong. 🙂
LikeLike
I was hoping to catch you out :0 Believe it or not – the entire blog was done and called Fig and Apple Jam but I thought…Nah – I won’t catch any fish that way… lol
I’m glad you enjoyed being surprised.
Susan x
LikeLike
He bites! 🙂
Cheers
Laurie.
LikeLike
Yummy!
LikeLike
I certainly is, and so easy to do.
LikeLike
Mmmm, beautiful! I LOVE figs, and especially fig jam Susan. Thank you for reminding me of a blessing that I haven’t had in quite a while. Must be time to put it out there and attract a fig or two 🙂
LikeLike
Ray swears he used to pick figs the size of large Granny Smith apples from his grandparents trees when he was a boy. You wouldn’t need many to make a batch of jam!
Sending figs your way….
Bless, Susan x
LikeLike
And accepted with the love they were given, thank you! 🙂 I’m tasting them now…not something one forgets! 🙂
LikeLike
It’s as delicious as it looks!
Ray xx
LikeLike
You make that look so very easy! Making homemade jam is on my bucket list, and now I am thinking I will have to really do it. 😉
LikeLike
This was really easy – it has to be. I hate fiddly recipes, and really yummy too. Thankfully we have a lot more figs because the man of the house is having feast with it 🙂
Susan x
LikeLike
Days later, I feel like I could eat it like a dessert! Delicious! VERY mooooorish!
LikeLike
Still delicious….! mmmm!
LikeLike