Slow-Cooked Fig & Lemon Jam
I make this jam every year, first from our own early season figs (in February), and then using Dad's later in the season. The slow-cooking of the figs results in a sticky rustic jam that reminds me of days past. It does take about 24 hours from start to finish but most of this time is unattended.
Ingredients
- 1.5 kg figs, cut into 1 cm cubes
- 1 whole lemon, chopped into 5mm cubes
- 2 cups (400g) unrefined raw sugar
Instructions
- Chop the figs and lemon. I keep it quite rough and rustic but if you want a smoother jam then chop it into smaller cubes. Mix the fruit with the sugar in the ceramic bowl of a slow cooker (or in a large ceramic/ glass bowl), cover, and leave overnight to get nice and syrupy.
- In the morning turn on the slow cooker and leave to cook for approx. 6-10 hours on HIGH, or as long as it takes for the figs and sugar to cook down into a sticky jam. (It took about 6 hours on HIGH in my hot-running Zip slow cooker. I suspect my older Sunbeam cooker would have been more like 8+ hours on HIGH.) Stir occasionally to check the consistency. The less lifting of the lid when using a slow cooker the better.
- When ready to bottle, sterilise the jars and lids using the preferred method - 120C oven, boiling for 10 minutes, or use hot jars from the dishwasher. Fill hot jars with the hot jam to come within 2-3 mm from the top. Secure the lids and cool. Once cool, check lids are correctly vacuum sealed. Name and date the jars and store in a cool dark place for 6 months. Once open store in the fridge and consume within 1 month.
Notes
*Alternatively if you don't have a slow cooker, put the fig mixture into a large heavy-based saucepan and simmer on the lowest heat on your stove top. Or if you are lucky cook slowly on a wood-fired kitchen range until thick and sticky.