Casa Rosales

Casa Rosales

Saturday 14 July 2012

Jam making in the 30s



No, not the 1930s - in more than 30 degrees (centigrade) of heat! Must be barmy - not balmy.

We have had some wonderful cherries but it's the figs I've been waiting impatiently for - green figs - and now they are ripe and ready.

We had the opportunity the other day to raid a few trees. I'm so glad the people here are overwhelmed with land and fruit trees to the extent that they care little when the fruit is ready to be picked and just leave it to fall where it is. We carry lots of bags in the car to make the most of these opportunities.

And despite the sweltering heat we've had these past few days, when I got my treasure home, I set too to make my favourite jam and I'm going to share the recipe with you in case anyone else can get their hands on some delicious green figs. I suspect jam making is rather more appropriate to the summer weather in England just now - warms the kitchen up nicely. This is microwave jam, though, which is why I could just about bear to make it.

Recipe - measurements are not overly accurate, I'm afraid, but I've never had a poor result.

Fig and Orange Jam

About 1.2 kilos of figs - green ones work best for this recipe - remove stalk and base ends and then chop roughly and put into a large microwavable bowl.




Add about the same weight of sugar to the bowl and stir well to mascerate the figs.
  
Peel an orange and take the pith off (saying this always makes me giggle - I'm so puerile). Cut into small pieces and add to the fig mix.

Grate the zest of another orange into the mix, then add the juice only of this orange.










Add the juice of a lemon as well.

Then, I always add a handful of walnuts, broken into little pieces - I love the extra flavour.

You can also add some ginger or cinnamon if you fancy a spicy jam.



Then put into the microwave on full power. Initially, you'll need to give it around 10-12 minutes to reach boiling point, though I usually stop it every 6-7 minutes to give it a good stir.

All in all, today's jam took around 30 minutes or so in the microwave and the quantity reduced by about a quarter. Sometimes it takes a little longer, sometimes a little less. You can always test by putting a saucer in the freezer, then putting a little of the jam on this - it makes it quicker to identify if your jam has reached setting point.


In the meantime, make sure you've got enough sterile bottles or jars ready. I just underestimated by a small amount how much I'd made, but that will be gobbled up on some bread or stirred into a Greek yogurt very quickly at some point today.



And there it is - I made one lot yesterday and another lot today and even if the temperature reaches 40 degrees, if I find another tree of figs, I'll be making this jam again. It is yummy.


14 comments:

  1. Your jam looks delicious!

    Sadly no trees dripping with fruit to fall over in Salt but you never know what I'll find in France. Fingers crossed...

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    1. No, I think just 'dripping' has been the state of trees this year, hasn't it? I do hope you will find a little tree somewhere nearby - can't remember if we saw figs when we had a house there - I do remember wonderful walnuts though, so that part of the recipe is sorted!
      Maybe I'll go into production and set up an online shop!
      Axx

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  2. My problem at the moment is that I have no idea what sort of fig trees I have.... the figs are green at the moment, but I'm pretty sure they're not ripe, so maybe they'll change colour. Living with the garden for a year, to see what there is and what happens to it is exciting, but frustrating as well. I thought I had olive trees with no olives .....but they have now appeared. Everything seems to be trial and error. The recipe looks great, and easy. I love the idea of using the microwave. I may just have to go in search of other peope's trees, ormaybe even buy some green figs. Jxxx

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    Replies
    1. Hi Janice - great that you have a fig tree of your own! Keep giving those green figs a little squeeze and if they feel soft, they're ready. They're lovely to eat as they are, though if they're the purple sort, they are even better fresh, so you can't lose.

      I really can endorse the recipe - which I adapted from somewhere off the internet - and using the microwave makes it easier without doubt. Let me know!
      Axxx

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  3. I wish I'd had this recipe when we had the fig trees!
    But I'm going to pluck up the courage to use the microwave for the guavas...

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    1. It really is good, Fly. I should try it with guavas if I were you - just with a small amount at first. Do let me know how it goes! Axxx

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  4. What a delicious sounding recipe, Annie. No figs up here sadly, but I did make my annual stock of apricot jam when the small jamming apricots appeared in the shops a couple of weeks ago. As you say, it warmed up the kitchen nicely. :-)

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    1. As well as being absolutely delicious, I do confess that one of the things I like best about this jam is it has only cost me the price of two oranges, a lemon and 1kg of sugar - and I have six jars! I feel very thrifty, which is a good feeling in times of crisis. (We have never eaten as well as we do now, either!)
      Axx

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  5. Thanks for this recipe Annie. Our green figs are almost ready and I always make loads of jam. I have been making jam and chutney this week in 40 degree heat, which is ridiculous, so a microwave recipe is just perfect!

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    1. Great, Ayak! I know you´ll love it and no risk of dripping sweat into the pot...!
      Axxx

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  6. Yummy - I'd like to know how long the jam lasts?
    Celia x

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    Replies
    1. Ah well, Celia - good question! First, how well have I sterilized and sealed the jars? If I've done a good job, then the jam will be fine this time next year. If I haven't I'll start to see a bit of mould on the surface of the jam in a few weeks...this happened to me once, so hopefully, I've got nice clean jars this time.
      Secondly, once we open a jar, it doesn't last long at all! On bread, toast, biscuits, in yogurt, with ice-cream.... a spoonful here and there on its own, and it's gone in no time! Axxx

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  7. I adore fig jam! But sadly figs cost a fortune here and I'm unlikely to come by green ones. There are clearly advantages to living in all that heat!

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    1. I agree, Annie - I never knew how much I loved figs til I came here. Purple ones are better for eating but these green ones are wonderful for jam. I am tentatively in discussion with a local olive oil producer who is a friend of ours - perhaps he could help me go into production. It would make good use of the thousands of figs that are left on the trees year after year! I'll let you know! (But don't hold your breath as I'm full of ideas and yet have little energy...)
      Axxx

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