I first found fig jam many summers in the past after I spent a couple of weeks at a rustic home within the Cévennes area of southern France. The place was idyllic, lush with fruit each cultivated and wild. We picked the figs straight from the tree. Making the jam was simple, as no pitting of the fruit is concerned. And, as I discovered, fig jam is heavenly. It manages to seize the musty, lusty perfume of contemporary figs — which occur to be in season proper now.
Confiture de figues / Fig jam
Fig jam is fabulous not solely on toast or on buttered baguette, as within the photograph, but additionally on yogurt (which we additionally made ourselves throughout that summer season within the Cévennes). I normally make this jam with darkish purple figs, which lend the jam a stupendous ruby shade, however I believe it could be equally good if made with inexperienced figs.
In right now’s recipe, which was kindly handed alongside to me by a neighbor, rosemary and lemon juice are added to the figs and sugar as you set them on the range to boil. The recipe is tremendous fast, particularly in case you a) restrict the quantity you make at one time, and b) use jam jars with screw-on lids, which eliminates the necessity for paraffin (a vacuum varieties once you screw the lid on a jar of scorching jam, and this preserves it).
Fig jam didn’t exist in Wisconsin to my data after I was a child rising up. Nor did contemporary figs. The one figs I tasted throughout childhood have been the dried selection that got here in Christmas fruit baskets despatched by aged family every year. Then got here a summer season examine program in Avignon. Strolling to class at some point, I smelled a deiicious aroma. I appeared round, and there was a fig tree, heavy with fruit. Nicely, pricey readers, that was an ‘aha’ second for me.
Different recipes involving figs on this web site embody nation ham with figs, salad with contemporary figs, savory goat cheese tart with figs and rosemary, rooster with contemporary figs, figs roasted in vanilla cream, fig tart and caramelized peaches with contemporary figs and pine nuts. And by the way in which, in case you haven’t observed, I’m fairly keen on figs…
Comfortable cooking.
