What to do with Figs

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Drunken Fig Jam

Posted by James on August 1, 2013
Posted in: New Home, Recipes. Tagged: , , , . 11 Comments

When we bought the Cavender house there was one, sad little tree in the corner of the backyard. It was February, so there weren’t any leaves on it….but I knew what it was. OOh Lord I knew.

It was a fig tree….more of a large bush, really.

Every contractor who bid on building the fence couldn’t promise to not harm it. But we took our chances. And that first summer……we had 4 figs. The squirrel ate all of them. #DamnSquirrel

Next year, same thing.

Last year…..no figs at all. I have a feeling that the little bush/tree was saving up. Because this year…..

Our Fig Tree in the Cavender Backyard

We picked 8 pounds.

8 FREAKING POUNDS.

Figs Growing on the Tree in the Cavender Back Yard

…and that was after the squirrel had his share.

You can tell figs are ripe when the skins start to split and they fall of with a slight twist.

What to do with 8 pounds of figs? They don’t have much of a shelf-life. (Maybe 2 days…tops)

Make Drunken Fig Jam, of course.

Collander full of Figs from Our Fig Tree

I started by dicing all my figs into quarters and filling a stock pot. Aren’t they just beautiful?

8 Pounds of Diced Figs in the Stock Pot

The recipe calls for 2 pounds of figs….so I’ll post accordingly.

You will need:

  1. 2 Pounds ripe figs (stems removed and cut into quarters)
  2. 3/4 cup of sugar
  3. Zest of a Lemon
  4. Juice of the same Lemon
  5. 2/3 cup of Port (Sweet Portuguese Wine)
  6. Few sprigs of Rosemary
  7. Pinch of salt

That’s it….Oooh, and about an hour.

Sprinkle the sugar over the figs, mix well, and let set for 15 minutes till the sugar dissolves.

Adding Sugar to my Diced Figs

While the sugar is dissolving, this is a good time to grate the lemon zest.

Rub the hopefully organic lemon (no one needs hormones or wax in this recipe) on a zester. It looks like a small cheese grater.

Zesting a Lemon

Make sure to only grate the yellow part of the peel, the white is bitter. But the yellow is packed with lemony flavor.

Add remaining ingredients to the fig/sugar mixture and bring to a boil.

All of my Ingredients for the Fig Jam in the Pot

Once your mixture starts to boil, turn it down to medium heat and simmer for about a half hour more…..

Fig Jam Starting to Boil

Be sure to stir constantly to keep the jam from burning on the bottom. I also used a potato masher to break up any big pieces. But not too much, I wanted it to be a little chunky.

After it simmers a while and most of the liquids are dissolved, the thickened jam will coat a wooden spoon.

The Fig Jam Coats a Wooden Spoon When it's Thick

It’s that simple.

Fish out whatever rosemary pieces are still whole and spoon your warm jam into sanitized (dishwasher will work, or you can boil them) canning jars. Tighten the lid as tight as you can, flip upside down, and let cool.

It is sooooo delicious. We think it would pair nicely with a soft cheese, or greek yogurt, or roasted pork….(if you were here, you’d hear my stomach growling)

The jam will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 months.

Drunken Fig Jam from the Cavender Boys

But don’t keep it,

Give it to people.