Fig-Tastic
All right my friends, I am not going to steer you wrong! This jam is the bomb 💣 no lie! I’ve been making this for years and even those who claim to not like fig, love this delicious jam. I make so much of it during the summer.
This fig jam is a great gift for friends and family. I actually rarely have a bit for myself and every time I do, I remember just how dang delish it really is. Plus, as jams go, this is one of the very easiest ones you can make. You don’t even have to can (preserve) it. No pectin. Just make it up and keep it in the fridge for up to 3 months.
Fig Tastrophy
Last September I lost both of my treasured fig trees in a very freak type of tornado. I wouldn’t have believed it myself, but I witnessed the thing happen and it was real. There was a recorded one just a mile away, so I’m confident that as unusual a circumstance as a mini tornado near me is, it really was that. One of the trees snapped in half and the other came up from the ground, roots up.
The white fig is coming back slowly, and I may actually get a few figs in late summer. The Black Fig, however is gone with the wind. Black fig makes beautiful jam, but the white fig jam does taste incredible too.
“Jammin, Jammin, I Hope You Like Jammin Too!”
You will need to roughly cut up about 2 lbs of ripe figs. Use Black Mission, White, Brown, any kind you like. Add the figs to a large, heavy bottom, non-reactive pot. With the heat on medium high, add 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 cup (or so😉) of bourbon. Let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow to cook slowly about 20 minutes, until gel stage.
You can test the jam by putting a teaspoon of jam onto a small plate you’ve had in the freezer. If the jam very slowly moves down the plate, you’re good to go. This jam is actually very forgiving, so don’t worry if it’s your first time and you’re not sure. It will be fine! Now, add the juice of 1 lemon, stir and let cool.
You can put the jam into jars and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or, you can preserve them and keep on the shelf for up to one year!
Un-Canny Confidence
I was afraid to can/preserve for the longest time. I was so afraid I would give someone botulism! Certain foods, like jam are the very easiest to preserve. Pretty much fool-proof. How fool proof? Well, I’ve NEVER had a failure, and that’s saying something! This is how you do it.
The Jam Rules
You’ll need some basic supplies. People all over the world, have been canning since almost the beginning of time. Fancy is unnecessary. It’s just that some things must be bought. I use a large stock pot with a lid. I also use a canning rack. It sits on the rim of my pan and allows the jars to be submerged properly without sitting on the bottom of the pot where the heat may be too intense. There is a bit of science to preserving, so here are the basics:
Canning/Preserving STEPS
Clean
Fill a large canning pot or stock pot to about 2/3 with water. Attach a canning rack, hooked over the side of the pot. Bring the pot of water to a boil. Simmer clean, new canning lids in warm water, not boiling. Clean all jars with hot soapy water or put them through the dishwasher. I like to fill the jars with boiling water just before I fill with the jam. This helps the jars acclimate to the boiling water faster and off set any shock of adding hot liquid to the jars. It also makes me feel confident that the jars are still super clean.
Fill
Fill the jars with jam to the level specified in the recipe. In this case, you want 1/4 inch of head room between the jam and the very top of the jar. There are cheap measuring sticks that also serve as “dampers” to remove air bubbles before sealing. Use the damper to remove some air bubbles. Just up and down and few times. Clean the rims of the jars, so that you’re removed anything that may have spilled during filling.
Put the lid on the jar and then the screw top. Don’t tighten too much, just until it’s secure. If it’s too tight, the air in the jar cannot release and will cause a buckling of the lid or to cause the seal to fail.
Process
Submerge into canning pot. Check water level and add water so that the jars are covered by at least 3-4 inches over the top, bring to a boil. Allow cans to process for 15 minutes. Some recipes call for shorter or longer times and various “head-room”. Turn off the heat and let the jars stay, covered 5 more minutes. Remove from pot (canner) and let the jars sit undisturbed for 24 hours.
Check tops to see that all have locked. Press your finger on the center of the lid. If the lid pops up, the jar did not seal. You can still use it, just put it right into the refrigerator for immediate use. If not, the lid is sealed properly. You’re likely to hear the lids make popping noises, just minutes after you take them out of the pot. This is the locking of the lids.
Applause!
Mostly I use this jam in baking and cooking. Eventually, I will share most of them. I hope you enjoy it. Let me know how yours turned out.
Notes
This makes about 4-5 1 cup jars of jam
Ingredients
- 2 lbs ripe figs, chopped into 1/4 inch or smaller pieces
- 2 cups granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla
- 1/2 cup bourbon
- juice of 1 lemon
Instructions
- Roughly chop figs into small pieces. Add the figs to a large, heavy bottom, non-reactive pot. With the heat on medium high, add 2 cups sugar 2 teaspoons vanilla and 1/2 cup of bourbon. Let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium low and allow to cook slowly about 20 minutes, until gel stage.
- You can test the jam by putting a teaspoon of jam onto a small plate you've had in the freezer. If the jam very slowly moves down the plate it's ready, add the juice of 1 lemon, stir and let cool slightly.
- You can put the jam into jars and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 months or, you can preserve them and keep on the shelf for up to one year
Canning/Preserving STEPS
- Fill a large canning pot or stock pot to about 2/3 with water. Make sure it has a lid.
- Add a canning rack, hooked over the side of the pot
- Bring the pot of water to a boil
- Simmer clean, new canning lids in warm water, not boiling
- Clean all jars with hot soapy water or put them through the dishwasher. If the jars have cooled, fill with boiling or very hot water just before filling them with the jam. This helps the jars acclimate to the boiling water faster and off set any shock of adding hot liquid to the jars.
- Fill the jars with jam to 1/4 inch of head room between the jam and the very top of the jar. Use damper a few times to remove air bubbles before sealing.
- Use the damper to remove some air bubbles. Clean the rims of the jars, so that you're removed anything that may have spilled during filling.
- Put the lid on the jar and then the screw top. Don't tighten too much, just until it's secure. If it's too tight, the air in the jar cannot release and will cause a buckling of the lid or to cause the seal to fail.
- Submerge into canning pot
- Check water level and add water so that the jars are covered by at least 3-4 inches over the top, bring to a boil.
- Allow cans to process for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the jars stay, covered 5 more minutes.
- Remove from pot (canner) and let the jars sit undisturbed for 24 hours
- Check tops to see that all have locked. Press your finger on the center of the lid. If the lid pops up, the jar did not seal. You can still use it, just put it right into the refrigerator for immediate use. If not, the lid is sealed properly. You're likely to hear the lids make popping noises, just minutes after you take them out of the pot. This is the locking of the lids.
