I’d love to be writing a post about the figs harvested from my own garden. But my fig plant is still only a baby, and some way off producing any fruit. I bought it earlier this year when it was nothing but a small stick with roots and a couple of buds. The stick was planted in a large pot and stood against a south-facing wall. And over the summer it’s turned into a healthy-looking plant with big leaves.
Now, this is my first try at growing figs, so I’m pretty much making things up as I go. If anyone out there has more experience (or a more organised approach), I’d love to learn more about what I should be doing – and how many years I’ll need to wait before my first home-grown fig harvest!
Until that first harvest, the figs will have to come from the market. Yesterday’s bag of figs was turned into a lovely sweet, sticky, dark red jam. The jam was taste-tested at breakfast this morning, admittedly a very quick taste test – the school bus doesn’t wait for those who linger over breakfast. On freshly-buttered toast it was very good, but I’m thinking it will also go really well with oatcakes and goat’s cheese, or possibly as the jam filling in a Bakewell tart… What would you do with a jar of fig jam?
If you have figs from the garden (or the market) to use up and are looking for ideas, the ingredient for this month’s one ingredient challenge is figs. The challenge is hosted by Laura at How to Cook Good Food and Nazima at Working London Mummy, and is a great place to look for recipe inspiration. I’ll be adding my fig jam recipe to the list.
Fig Jam
(Makes about 3 mismatched jars of jam)
1kg figs, washed, stems removed and cut into quarters
zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
450g preserving sugar
2 tbsp port
Put all the ingredients into a large pan, give them a good stir and leave for about 30 minutes, stirring again from time to time. The sugar will start to dissolve and the flavours will start to mix.
Use the back of a wooden spoon or a potato masher to break up the figs a bit. Put the pan over a low heat and stir the mixture until the sugar is completely dissolved. Then turn the heat up to bring the jam to the boil, and cook for about 25 minutes (you may need to turn the heat down a little, this jam tends to ‘spit’ quite a bit). The mixture will start to thicken up – take the pan off the heat and test for a set. Boil for a few minutes more, if needed, until setting point is reached.
Pour the jam into sterilised jars and top with waxed paper discs while still warm.
The Garden Deli 
Sounds VERY good! I’d go for the oatcakes and goat’s cheese combination! 😉
That would be my first choice too, but there’s no goat’s cheese in the house.
I do adore fig jam and love your recipe. It is just the sort of thing I make myself and have done ni the past. I do find it works particularly well with a good British blue cheese such as Stichelton from Neal’s Yard Dairy. Think it would also be fantastic with a lovely walnut bread too.
Thanks so much for entering One Ingredient this month!
Laura@howtocookgoodfood xxx
Thanks Laura! I think you’re right about the bread – I made a fig and walnut loaf recently and the flavour combination was very good.
I love the idea of including port in the jam – yum! I do grow figs, well kind of, some branches from next door’s tree have grown up and under the fence into my garden so I get the benefit of fresh figs each year (I did notice my branches had buds on them today – yay the figs are coming!) which is lovely but as I don’t really maintain the tree I can give you no advice whatsoever. Sorry, having said that I don’t think my neighbour does much to hers as shes pretty incapacitated.
Sharing trees with neighbours is great – especially when you get the benefit of some fruit! Hope the figs grow well for you this summer.
I love fig jm, I rely on my friends in France to provide it for me !
I’m growing a fig tree too, and I’m still waiting for figs, like you it’s still a small tree in a pot. the only thing I know about growing them is that you keep them in a small pot to restrict the roots. That’s all I know !!
I’d put mine in a pot so that I could move it to the greenhouse in the winter if it needed some protection, but from now on I’ll pretend that I knew about restricting the roots all along – thanks Claire!
Your fig tree has put on an amazing amount of growth since you planted it – I think it is safer in a pot as they can grow into enormous plants.
It has grown well (and I can’t say that about much of my fruit or veg this year!). I’ll keep it in its pot and see how things go.
Pingback: One Ingredient – The September Round Up
I love fig jam – the colour and the smell let alone the delicious taste of it, and will have to try this out next year when the greengrocers are selling off trays of figs. I have moved my blog from workinglondonmummy to franglaiskitchen so this months ingredient challenge will be hosted there and the theme is pumpkin/squashes so I do hope you enter some more delicious recipes!
Thanks for pointing me in the direction of your new blog, I like the new style! I love cooking with pumpkin or squash – pies, cakes, roasted … will try to pick one and join in the challenge!
I’ve had my eye on your recipe since seeing it in the One Ingredient Challenge, and after picking 4 kilos of figs at a friend’s house this afternoon I’m happy to say I’m currently turning three of those kilos into your gorgeous sounding jam! Loving the idea of port and lemon juice and zest. Very excited to try it! Louisa
What a great way to spend an afternoon!. Hope the jam turns out well – would love to hear how you get on.
It’s perfect thank you! Absolutely loving the port and lemon additions. Can’t wait for my Dad to try it when I see him at Christmas. He loves fig jam (and is a bit of jam connoisseur) and has been asking me to make it for two years, he loves a tipple of port too so I think I’m on to a winner!. I’m mentioned you and the jam a couple of times on my FB page (https://www.facebook.com/pages/Chez-Foti/275675912471434), do you have a Garden Deli page?
Thanks so much again,
Louisa
Good to hear it worked for you – thanks for letting me know! I’m beginning to wish I’d made a few more jars, it’s my son’s favourite jam at the moment.
I don’t have a facebook page as yet – am struggling to get to grips with twitter but I’m not good with technology! But thanks for the mention on your page.
Pingback: Cinnamon Greengage or Plum Jam « Chez Foti
Pingback: October in the Garden « Chez Foti
Pingback: Cinnamon & Greengage or Plum Jam | Eat your veg
Pingback: Fig & honey ice cream by How to cook good food