In the orchard since January, we have been loving the waves of ripening fruit: plums, peaches, pears, nashis, apples, figs, feijoas and persimmons. If my boy, Jack, is hungry, then he runs outside to see what he can find…
I was in my friend Briar’s kitchen the other day and we were talking about ways to preserve figs, as they only last a day or two in the orchard before the birds get them. She dug this recipe out of an old preserving book she had, but it had dried figs in it. We decided to try it with fresh figs, so here is my attempt. I upped the quantity of figs in relation to everything else. It came out well, jammy enough for toast, but also enough like stewed apple to have with ice-cream… yum! Try it for yourself…
I took the photos myself too, so please let me know if you think they are getting better – improving my food photography is one of my aims for 2014.
Apple, Fig and Ginger Jam
saucepan with the figs, lemon juice and ginger. Pour over the water and bring
to the boil.
regularly, until the mixture is well-reduced and thick. All the fruit should be
well-cooked too.
beginning to set. You will know the jam is ready when you can put a small
spoonful on a plate, allow it to cool and ‘wrinkle’ it with your finger.
Always fill the jar as full as you can, and wipe thoroughly around the lid so
you get a good seal.