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!
33 comments:
Yum! I've made a fig-anise bread recipe before that was fabulously good (although very slow rising), I bet this jam is even better.
This week, I discovered your blog, and had fresh figs for the first time. Serendipity? Here in Canada they are very expensive, so I can't make all your recipes, but I'm loving "Fig Week" all the time.
I'm using the dozen figs I have left to make candied figs, like my mother-in-law brought back from Portugal...!
This I do like! I'm not a big jam eater either, I don't like it on my bread, only on 'beschuit', a Dutch specialty of twice baked eggy bread, so it becomes more or less toast. In English they are called rusks.
Love the idea of adding anise seeds!
I too am not much of a jam person! Pass me the butter!!!!
Oooh, what a divine spread!!
Can't believe that fig month is over already - looking forward to seeing the last recipe!
That would be so delicious on toasted pumpernickel with cream cheese.
Not only is my toast ready but the goat cheese is screaming to be covered by this wonderful jam as well!! Oh and my bottle of wine that I will drink with this is right there too!!
I love homemade jam!! This would be great with an engilsh muffin..or pretty much anything:)
I only like jam with a gob of peanut butter with it! Anything seems to be good with peanut butter.
Your jam recipe looks beautiful. I love the addition of the anise. Nice touch.
I'm a Jam Head. Yup, always have been. Growing up, the only way I would eat rice would be with jam. Funny right?
In a precontest diet, jam is kinda forbidden because of the high sugar... those were a long 4 months for me.... but afterwards, oh boy :)
Tomorrow is the last one? Too bad. Let's see, for some reason I'm thinking Fig Upside Down Cake, or Raspberry Fig Brownies... or I'm totally off my rocker :)
That jam looks finger-lickin' good! I wonder why I don't make more jams, besides just plain old strawberry jam.
It sounds delicious, love the anise addition. I am sad the end is near. Can't wait until tomorrow!
Chou- A bread really? Did you post it? I'll have to go and look for it, must be delicious!
Jenny- Welcome then! So did you like the figs? I'm actually drying some myself.
Linda- Never heared about them, but they do sound good!
Leslie- Lol! Me too, I'm a butter girl!
VG- It went by so fast... More next year!
Prudy- Oh yes it would!
Cathy- Well girl you have your party planned allready!
Maria- Lol! I love english muffins!
Katrina- You are so right!
Alexa- It gave it such a nice taste!
Adam- Hey jam head! You had actually some fig-tastic ideas! But I'm not telling, lol! Jam on rice? Maybe swirled on rice pudding I would eat it. Wait? Could that be the recipe tomorrow? No, not telling!
Jeanine- I don't do them either, I think beacuse I don't like to eat them very much.
Reeni- Lol! You'll like it tomorrow.
I shall call you the Queen of Figs!
Fig and five spice and now fig and anise! I'm always wondering what spice other than cinnamon to use with figs and you come up with two great ones. Thanks! The jam looks great and thanks for answering the question about peeling the figs in the cookies. I really want to make those cookies! My dad will flip for them.
I don't know where I have been all week, I have missed all this figgy goodness. (Bogged down I guess!)
I am relatively new to figs - I don't know if they were not shipped as widely to Canada or I didn't notice them but I am making up for lost time.
Great looking recipes and yes, my toast is ready. :)
I have to say this: you are figliscious! Ha ha.
I love a good fig jam on my bread with some goat cheese...yummy!
That fig jam looks really nice.
I think I am going to have to get more figs so I can make this recipe. It must go so well with so many things!
Blonde Duck- Oh I love that! The Queen of figs, lol!
Maggie- I love using fifferent spices! Hope yur dad likes them!
Natashya-Good for you for making up for the lost time!
Dawn- Lol! That's funny, thanks!
Cathy- Yummmmmmmy I love goat's cheese!
Kevin- Thank you dear!
Esi- Oh yes I'm sure it does!
I'm not a huge jam eater either, but sometimes I get in the mood for a warm biscuit with butter and strawberry jam. This looks like it would be delicious!
I don't eat jam or use jams unless they are homemade...ahaha! Nothing can beat that and yours looks great!
quierprobarquieroprobarquieroprobar.... No, no me han robado la barra espaciadora ni me he vuelto alemana de repente, es el ansia ¡¡¡ me encanta el anís, esta mermelada tiene que estar buenísima !!! A ver si inventar los transportadores de materia de una vez, por dios, que yo no sé en qué piensan los físicos e ingenieros. ;-) (todo para que me pudieras pasar una cucharadita...)
Era lo qe te faltaba!!! Una buena mermelada de higos. cuando la hago le pongo vainilla y coñac y esta de vicio!!!
Ana
of course im sad, fig is my fave fruit!! lovely combo you made here!! yum yum
Ooh, I love making jam. I think I eat so much of it because I'm always looking forward to making a new batch. I finally found some figs here but it's a toss up between my kid's college fund and the figs. I'm undecided. And sad that Fig Week is over already.
This jam looks wonderful - I could definitely go a jar of this.
I like your new blog layout, BTW - very crisp and clean.
I'm stocking up on figs and trying to bang out a lot of recipes and jam/preserves were on the list--I love this flavor you've got going on. Anise wouldn't have occurred to me.
Figs and anise? Genius!
I'd save some for Christmas if I were you. I best this would taste great with the linzer cookies :)
Te dirè que tus recetas de hisgos son para morirse de rico!! Lo ùnico que quiero es que lleguen luego los higos yahhhhh!!!!!Gloria
Post a Comment