Since the start of the fig season 3 or 4 weeks ago, stallholder Maureen has been at me to find this recipe which I used to make about 6 years ago. I’d totally forgotten about it. From memory I’d translated it from an old French cooking book. It’s a bit fiddly in that the process takes 2 days but the result is delicious. We have fantastic figs at the Market both on Saturday and Sunday.
- Ingredients for 700-800g of jam:
- – 700g fresh figs
- – 300g unwaxed oranges (usually this means 2)
- – Juice of 1 lemon
- – 700g sugar
- – 150ml water
Method
– Prick the oranges all over with a needle (sorry I don’t know why the recipe gave this instruction). Cut each into 10-12 wedges keeping the skin on.
– Wash and dry the figs and cut them into quarters.
– Prepare the syrup in a pot – mix together the lemon juice, water and sugar. Bring it to the boil for about 3 mins or until the temperature reaches 105C.
– Add the oranges, simmer for 5-6 mins.
– Add the figs and cook till they submerge in the syrup.
– Remove from the heat and pour all into a bowl. Cover and leave to macerate for 24 hours.
– The next day boil the fruit for 5 mins. Skim the top. Leave, covered again for another day.
– Then, boil again being careful that the bottom doesn’t stick. Cook for about 20 mins. Check if cooked.
– Put into sterilized jars, dividing up the fruit evenly between each jar. Cover and seal.
As well as a jam, this can be eaten as a dessert served with vanilla icecream and, if you like, a dash of an orange flavoured liqueur such as Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec.