April is a good month for inexpensive figs so having bought some recently I went looking for my grandmother’s jam recipe. Olive, as we called her, never Nan or Grandma, had 3 large fig trees on her Moruya south coast property so it was not surprising that her recipe calls for a generous 6 kilos of the fruit. There was always an abundance of figs and plums on hand to be turned into delicious jams, preserves and puddings. Today, 6 kilos is a surprising amount and would require a significant financial outlay. So I adjusted the recipe to work with the 6 punnets I’d purchased and added my own touch with some vanilla. I’m sure Olive would approve. I can taste it already on toast (gluten-free, of course,) with lots of butter for breakfast tomorrow.
1.4 kg dark figs, stems removed
900 gm white sugar
60 ml white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla paste
Slice the figs and place into a large, heavy saucepan. Add the sugar, vinegar and vanilla. Bring to the boil and then reduce to a hard simmer, stirring often, for around 15 - 20 minutes.
To test for readiness: Take a saucer that’s been in the freezer for 10 minutes, put a teaspoon of jam on it and put it back in the freezer for a couple of minutes. Then, if the jam ripples when the saucer is tipped to a 45° angle it’s cooked. If it runs, continue cooking.
Pour into 4 x 375ml dry sterilised jars and store in a cook dark place.
Caren