Monday, July 28, 2014

Fig Preserves Part 2: Spiced

3 cups fresh figs, chopped and destemed (thanks, Mariah!)
1-2 cups fresh apple juice, from Smit Farms
1 1/2 cups local honey
1/4 cup crystallized/candied ginger, diced
juice of one fresh lemon, from Schaner Farm
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon ground ginger

Combine all the ingredients in a heavy medium-sized pot (I like enameled cast iron; it's safe, clean and the least reactive) on medium-high heat.  Stir frequently, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer (this is a good time to set up your water bath for equipment & jar sterilizing) until jam gels, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Fill sterilized jars (that you've been keeping in hot water), wipe lip & outer threads with a clean, damp cloth, add lids & rings (that you've been keeping in hot water), not too tight, and boil in a water bath for 10 minutes.  Remove and let sit undisturbed overnight.

Makes 4 cups 

If you're new to jamming, get yourself a good resource for a more descriptive process on how to jam.

(Ok, truth be told, the above recipe is what I wished I had made.  The recipe I was adapting this from was poorly written and had way too much cinnamon  - lesson learned for me -  so to try to salvage my jam, it became an "all fruits in" spiced jam and I cleared out my fridge to add an apple and a couple pluots, chopped up and another 1/3 cup or so of honey.  I'll call it christmas chutney and give it for holiday gifts and no one will be the wiser)

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Honey Balsamic Fig Preserves

I am a big fan of trading.  Seeds, saplings, starters, recipes, clothes, work, skills, time... And I love food swaps.  I have too many eggs from my lovely backyard chickens, my friend has a heavy-bearing fig tree (or lemons, macadamia nuts, goat milk, honey, vegan tamales, tomatoes...), so we trade!  Yay!  Let's take some money out of the system and build community while we grow and produce our own!

 Now I've got all these figs (she brought me a sizable bag of them) -- enough to try 2 different small-batch fig jam recipes (and bonus: figs are another fruit that don't need added pectin to jam), so here's the first...

2 1/2 cups fresh figs (thanks, Mariah!), chopped into eighths
3/4 cup local honey (or your favorite sugar or syrup)
1/4 cup apple juice from Smit Farms (or orange juice or other liquid of your choice)
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (or lemon juice or another vinegar)

If you're new to jamming, get yourself a good resource for a more descriptive process on how to jam.

Set up your water bath for equipment & jar sterilizing.

Combine figs, honey, juice and vinegar in a heavy medium-sized pot (I like enameled cast iron; it's safe, clean and the least reactive) on medium-high heat.  Stir frequently, bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until jam gels, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Fill sterilized jars (that you've been keeping in hot water), wipe lip & outer threads with a clean, damp cloth, add lids & rings (that you've been keeping in hot water), not too tight, and boil in a water bath for 10 minutes.  Remove and let sit undisturbed overnight.

Makes 1 1/2-2 cups

Adapted from wellpreserved.ca