“A messy kitchen is the sign of happiness.”
Slightly Modified 07/27/22
Figs are beginning to ripen in East Texas and luckily we have friends with fig trees on their properties. I’d never done any canning before so this first time was rather laborious and time-consuming but I’m now looking forward to trying out additional recipes. Without patting myself on the back too much, I must say that this is the best fig jam I have ever tasted … the aroma and tastes of the vanilla and balsamic vinegar really make it unbelievably pleasing.
This recipe was adapted from CookingMadly.com. It makes six half-pint (8-oz) jars. For some very detailed canning instructions & tips, I suggest you visit “Canning 101” at FoodInJars.com. A note about the cooking temperature … at my altitude and on my gas stove top, I cannot get the jam mixture above 205°F so I resort to the “reduction” method by boiling the mixture until it reduces by about 1/3 and then go ahead and can it! This will probably not give you a firm jam but we prefer ours easily spreadable.
(PS … Since originally posting this recipe, I’ve been able to repeat it several times and it is undoubtedly the best canning recipe I’ve made.)
All Content © 2022 All Rights Reserved, J. Taylor, Marshall, TX
Wash the figs, remove the stems, and coarsely chop them.
In a large saucepan, add the figs, sugar, balsamic vinegar, peppercorn sachet, and lemon juice. Bring them to a simmer over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low and maintain a gentle simmer. Cook, stirring to break up large pieces of fig, until the jam reaches 220°F, about 45 minutes to an hour.
Remove from heat, add vanilla and stir well. Depending on your preference, you can use an immersion blender to puree the jam.
Ladle into sterilized jars, wipe the rims, add lids and rings, and process for 20 minutes in a boiling water bath.
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