Fig & Anise Jam

So did you think we were going to have a full fig week without a Fig Jam? Well you were wrong...

I'm not really a jam maker, in fact I'm not even a jam eater. There's something about jam that doesn't convince me totally. I like to smell it, I like to use it in my sweets, I even like to look at it, I just don't really like to eat it. My mom on the other hand, pass her a jam jar and a spoon and she's a happy woman! This was for her.

Finding impossible to eat all the figs I have, making a jam was probably a clever option. To the figs I've added the classics cinnamon and lemon, but what made this jam a bit more interesting were some anise seeds that I decided to threw in at the last moment. It gave the jam an awesome flavour that had me (the non-jam eater) licking my fingers while testing for the consistency. Don't worry I washed them after!

FIG & ANISE JAM

• 1100 gr (2 lb 7 oz) figs (half peeled, half unpeeled)
• 500 (17.9 oz)gr sugar
• Lemon rind (1/2 lemon without the white)
• 1 stick cinnamon
• ½ tsp anise seeds
• 1 apple

I couldn't decide if I was going to use the figs peeled or unpeeled, so I did what my strange logic told me to do: use half of each. The weight in the recipe is from the figs allready cut and ready to go, so I'm gessing I started with about 1,5 kgs (3 lb 5 oz).

Wash the figs, cut the top and bottom of all and peel half of them. Cut in half and put in a pan. Add the sugar and mix well. Add the cinnamon stick, lemon rind, anise seeds and the apple washed and cut into chunks (with the skin and piths). Let cook for about 30 m at medium low heat, stearing often. You can leave yours with chunks but I chose to make it smooth by pureeing it with an inmersion blender. Keep cooking testing for consistency, placing a bit of jam in a plate, it will be ready when you can leave a clear trace with your finger. Makes 5 medium jars.

Is your toast ready?

Tomorrow the last fig recipe! Are you sad? Don't be, it's a really good one! Might even be my favourite!