Recipe: Fresh fig-almond jam with no added pectin
Beautiful ripe Kadota figs, combined with almonds and lemon, will become delicious jam. Debbie Arrington
It’s fig season and, judging by local trees, this summer looks like a banner year.
Our neighbor generously invited me to pick as many of her Kadota figs (the yellow-green ones) as I wanted from her loaded tree. She didn’t have to ask twice. With their delicate flavor and amber hue, Kadota figs make wonderful jam and preserves without added pectin.
The secret ingredient? Patience. Let it simmer very low, barely bubbling, while stirring often.
Finely chopped almonds add extra texture, subtle flavor and a little crunch. The fig-almond combination was inspired by French preserves we sampled in Provence.
While you could skip the almonds, don’t bypass the lemon. The lemon juice helps the jam jell while also preserving the figs’ bright color; the lemon zest adds a little more zing to the final flavor, balancing its sweetness.
Like those preserves, this fig-almond jam is perfect with brie or other soft cheese as well as spread on toast or English muffins.
Fresh fig-almond jam
Makes 6 cups (half-pints)
Ingredients:
4 cups figs, chopped
1 lemon
½ cup water
3-1/2 cups sugar
¼ cup almonds, finely chopped
Instructions:
Put a small ceramic plate in the freezer. (You’ll use this to test the jam.)
Wash figs, remove stems and trim off flower ends. Roughly chop.
Place figs in a large heavy pot.
Zest and juice the lemon and add to the figs. Stir in water.
Over medium-high heat, bring fig mixture to a boil, stirring often.
Add sugar all at once; stir to dissolve. Bring mixture back to boil. Boil for 2 minutes.
Stir in almonds. Reduce heat to low.
Simmer mixture uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring often so mixture doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot or scorch. Jam is ready when it mounds on a spoon. It will thicken more as it cools.
To test jam for doneness, put a teaspoonful of the hot liquid on that ice-cold plate and return plate to the freezer for 2 minutes. If the jam holds its shape and doesn’t run when the plate is turned sideways, it’s ready.
Ladle hot jam into sterilized jars and seal. Process for 10 minutes in boiling water bath, if desired.
Alternatively, jam may be stored in tightly sealed jars without processing in the refrigerator for up to 2 months, in the freezer for 1 year.
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Garden Checklist for week of Oct. 6
Get ready to get to work! Cooler weather is headed our way mid-week.
* Clean up the summer vegetable garden and compost disease-free foliage.
* Harvest pumpkins and winter squash.
* October is the best month to plant trees, shrubs and perennials.
* Before planting, add a little well-aged compost and bone meal to the soil, but hold off on other fertilizers until spring. Keep the transplants well-watered (but not wet) for the first month as they become settled.
* Dig up corms and tubers of gladioli, dahlias and tuberous begonias after the foliage dies. Clean and store in a cool, dry place.
* Treat azaleas, gardenias and camellias with chelated iron if leaves are yellowing between the veins.
* Now is the time to plant seeds for many flowers directly into the garden, including cornflower, nasturtium, nigella, poppy, portulaca, sweet pea and stock.
* Plant seeds for radishes, bok choy, mustard, spinach and peas.
* Plant garlic and onions.
* Set out cool-weather bedding plants, including calendula, pansy, snapdragon, primrose and viola.
* Reseed and feed the lawn. Work on bare spots.
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