It doesn’t matter what season it is, jam is always an appreciated accompaniment to meals. Last week during my cooking/baking extravaganza with Kittee, we created a beautiful, delicious, and irresistible fig jam. It was quite an adventure because obtaining the figs meant scaling a 9-foot ladder in the wind and rain (thanks Kittee!!) to pluck figs from the tree in Kittee’s yard. My role was essential too: Kittee passed me the figs and I placed them in a tidy pile and took pictures.
Kittee picking figs like a champion.
Fig overload!
The final masterpiece!
Want the recipe? OK!
Fig & Ginger Jam
Makes about 4 pints
Ingredients:
About 7-8 pounds fresh, ripe figs
4 cups unrefined sugar
2″ knob of ginger, grated
Zest from 1 medium lemon, about 1 teaspoon
Juice from 2 medium lemons
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 3-ounce packet liquid pectin (we used Certo brand and called customer service to confirm that it was vegan – it is, obviously!)
Directions:
1. Wash and peel the figs. Put the fruit in a large bowl (it will most likely be a pile of smoosh). You should have about 9-10 cups of fruit.
2. Place all ingredients [EXCEPT PECTIN] in a large, heavy-bottomed pot.
3. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring continuously.
4. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook, stirring often, for about 30 minutes.
5. Stir in the liquid pectin, cook for 1-2 additional minutes, and then remove from heat.
6. Pour jam into clean, sterilized jars and allow to cool completely before refrigerating. You can also place jam in the freezer (make sure your jars are freezer-safe), just make sure to leave a 1/2″ of headspace in the jar so when it freezes, it has room to expand.
Enjoy!! I wonder what Kittee and I will make this week?!??
That looks absolutely fantastic. Thanks for sharing the recipe!
ooooh, i want! i want! i want! eeeh hee hee! jam is indeed an appreciated accompaniment to meals – i concur, Amy! so awesome on the figgy jam – and all the fun with ms. kittee. yay! i’m gonna see if our local natural foodz store has any fresh figs in stock – if so, i know what i’ll be making with them!
p.s. – i made your dangerously seedy potato bread tonight for dan to accompany our dinner. he went nuts for it and said it was his favorite. thanks so much for the recipe – it was uber easy to make and tasty, too!
This is such a great idea! I love it!
That jam is beatiful! That reminds me, I have to check my neighbors fig tree that hangs over into my yard and see if the figs are ready to pick.
dazee likes it a lot! i love the chunky bits. why o why did i not think to top my bagel with tofutti and fig preserves?? this is so happening tomorrow!!
xo
kittee
I tried a non-dried fig once and hated it, but I bet that had to do with it not actually being fresh and having been shipped half way across the country. That jam looks amazing! I wonder if it would work fine without the pectin. And fig preserves on top of vegan cream cheese? Seriously, I am jealous.
We thought it would work without pectin, but realized later that it was a necessity. We actually had to make a last minute run to the store while the jam was cooking to get pectin!! Figs have a very low pectin content and the jam was too soft without it.
OH wow! That looks seriously fantastic. A fig is about 1 dollar each here (when you could get them, not now) so it’s not really an option, but it sounds good!
I saw kittee posting about this on Facebook. Figgy jam!
Bookmarking for next fig harvest! I made grape & fig jam from the ones growning in our yard this year…but adding giner? You two are rock stars for sho!
Figs and grapes?!! Well heck, that makes you a SUPER rock star. I want grapes.
Must get my hands on some figs so I can make this!