Fig-ure Out This Yummy Jam For an Easy Winter Snack
Summer is over (sigh). We’ve busted out the long sleeves, soup is a given and everyone is otherwise busy trying to find some good ole pumpkin spice anything or dreaming up a Thanksgiving feast. Yummy, sure, but isn’t that all a bit…basic?
Let’s say you’re itching to make something new in the kitchen, and if you branch out some at your usual supermarket you may notice quite a few exciting seasonal offerings…such as figs. Luscious, plump, delicate figs, of tender and chewy flesh, bursting at the seams with fiber, vitamins and minerals. O, sweet, bud-like fig, how much I love thee — baked over a goat cheese toastie, topping my oatmeal but most importantly...
…Made into the most delicious jam you’ve ever had. Buckle up and take my hand, sugar. We are going to make fig jam. No, there’s no canning involved. Yes, it’ll last you a month in the fridge, if it does take you that long to gobble it up. It is so easy. You can make some for you and then some for friends, too. Sharing is caring. Oh, and I just know someone will bring this up – yes, female wasps do perish in figs. However, there is more to it than just dropping that cold fact without any scientific explanation and then assuming that the crunchy bits in figs are dead wasp bits. They are not. They’re seeds. Calm down. Eat homemade fig jam.
Before we get started, one final disclaimer: this is not a recipe that I created. It is a recipe that I love, originally crafted by Spanish vegan Instagrammer Gloria Carrión (@lagloriavegana). Always give credit where credit is due! Then, experiment (to some extent!). Last time I made it with some fancy Yunnan honey and *chef`s kiss*. Exploring in the kitchen brings a lot of joy. Sometimes it goes amazingly well and sometimes it doesn’t, but I always learn something new. Kind of a valuable lesson, you know? Food for thought.
Here are the ingredients you will need. These are the ideal quantities, but at this point I just kinda eyeball everything and that’s it.
• 500 gr. of unpeeled figs
• 1 large apple, peeled
• The juice of one orange (I just use a glass of good OJ!)
• 2 tbsp. of agave syrup (you could use maple syrup too, or any other alternative)
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 tbsp. ground ginger (optional, I’ve also used turmeric and star anise…play some!)
Step 1: Chop the figs and the apple (either finely or coarsely, to taste), then add them with the rest of ingredients to a pot over low heat.
Step 2: Cook for 30-40 minutes (you can cover the pot with a lid), stirring occasionally so that it won’t stick. Trust me, you do not want to clean a burnt pot.
Step 3: Remove the pot from the stove and let the fig mixture cool before pouring it into a blender and pulsing until its a bit smoother. This is optional, in my opinion! Depends on your texture of choice for the jam.
Step 4: Store in airtight containers (I use clean crystal jars) in the fridge for a month maximum. I love mine on yoghurt!
That’s it! Enjoy and stay cozy!
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Images: Ana Padilla Fornieles
