Fig Jam

I'm doomed. I was doing so well eating healthy and working out and being better etc etc. Blah blah. Now I might be pulled out of poverty with a new job, so to celebrate I bought four kinds of cheese, bread and sopressata. From Costco. Where they don't give bags. So when I ran into Chako on the street on the way into our apartment, my purse was literally bursting at the seems full of GIANT WHEELS OF FRESH CHEESE. It was kind of embarrassing. I was going to put it all in the fridge, cut them smaller put small pieces towards the front and hide the giant chunks behind herbs and tubs of batter and dough that he never goes near. Now he (and all of you) know that I am weak. I am weak for cheese and will buy it in bulk and eat it every chance I get. It's very very bad. 

As Chako is standing on the street hysterical laughing at the contents of my purse and my bright red face, I worked to justify my behaviour. I had just made a jam. It was a miracle. Jam as yummy as this fresh fig jam deserved cheese (and lots of it!), he had a long day and deserved jam and cheese, he's had a long several weeks dealing with me while on the job hunt and deserved jam and cheese. On and on and on. I'm sure he really enjoyed the scene.

Thankfully, to complement my cheese insanity AND continuing my fig party and crossing off Jams from Fall To Do List, I made...FIG JAM! This jam is so pretty! Little fig seeds, chunks of figs, a beautiful golden jelly, all piled into a freshly sterilized welches jar. All about recycling in this tiny kitchen...or hoarding. Whatever. We broke this our for the first time at a dinner with our dear friends Teff & Ryan. Slather this jam on fresh bread with creamy brie...killer. 

For the record, I didn't do all the fancy canning jamming things for this batch, this was a trial to see how the recipe would turn out, therefor the ingredient measurements are only for one small jar. Next time I'll do a big batch with proper canning technique and everything because guess what, everyone is getting jam for Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries you name it! So expect a follow up jamming post...

More beautiful figs

 Figs and sugar

 Lemon rind

Yummy sweet stuff in a pot

Needs some booze

First stage of cooking

Stage two of cooking

 Stage three of cooking

 Happiness in a jar.

Going on a jam making party. Raspberry jam, apricot jam, tomato jam...I'm going to make them all. And probably eat them with cheese. Come help us eat the crazy cheese in our fridge....

Fig Jam

Makes one jar

You'll Need...

About 10 figs, cut into small pieces (Smaller then the ones I cut, thats one thing I'll do better next time!)

1/4 cup of sugar  (You can add an extra tablespoon...I did)

1/8 cup of water

Juice from half a lemon

Rind from half a lemon

1 Tbsp of Cointreau

Put everything in a pot! Cook it over a high heat until its bubbling, stirring constantly so it doesn't burn. Once it bubbles for a few minutes (two or three), reduce the heat to medium, cover and let simmer for half an hour. Stir for a few more minutes on a medium heat, then remove the pot from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Transfer the jam into a clean, sterilized jar and refrigerate for four hours before using. 

Love.