Fig Jam with Vanilla Bean and Lemon Zest

First, making jam is not hard. Do not be intimidated. Keep reading.

Now that we’ve gotten that business out of the way, I can go on with the rest of this post.

I was trying to recall what first nudged me to make that fresh fig tart a few weeks ago. While I know it was partly the simple fact that I discovered figs in the grocery store, it was really my trip to the Azores to visit my sister Carla and her family this past June that got my subconscious thinking about figs. Fig trees grow all over the islands there, and my sister’s friend Wendi had one in her yard.

Wendi’s husband, John, is heavily into something called permaculture, which was a new concept for me. Permaculture takes eating locally and sustainably to an even deeper level (it reminds me of Barbara Kingsolver in that the focus is on growing and eating only what will do well in your locale). When John gets out of the Air Force a year or so from now, he plans to dive into permaculture both as a business (he has a website geared toward establishing permaculture in temperate climates, since most permaculturists focus on the tropical zones) and as a way of life for their family. In the meantime, he’s established a flourishing garden outside their house on Terceira that, along with the fig tree, helps feed his family of six.

Unfortunately, Azorean figs aren’t ripe in early June, so I didn’t get to taste any, but my sister assured me that living in a place where fresh figs were available to pick right off the trees was a pleasure. Thus, when I saw fresh figs in the grocery store, I remembered Carla saying something about fig jam.

I used green figs in my tart, but for the jam, I wanted black figs. The pigment in the skin of black figs must have a lot of red in it, because jam made from them turns a gorgeous, deep ruby shade. It’s beautiful to look at, with its jewel-like appearance. It was so pretty, I couldn’t resist Instagramming the last few spoonfuls as my half pints were boiling in the canner:

Canning in general seems to be gaining momentum among my generation, especially jam-making. Just a few years ago, the Ball Blue Book was the only canning manual I could find. Now, the bookstore is full of modern books on preserving food. And really, the process is quite simple, not to mention that the results are always tastier than what you find in the grocery store.

If you don’t have the right equipment, they sell kits at just about any multi-purpose store (think Wal-mart or Meijer), or at your local hardware. For around $20, you generally get some combination of the following: a wide-mouthed funnel, jar lifter tongs, a magnetic lid lifter (nice to have, although tongs will do fine), a lid tightener (totally unnecessary), a wand for removing air bubbles (a dinner knife works just as well), a metal rack to place in the bottom of your big stock pot (it keeps the glass from touching the bottom of the pot, and thereby prevents breakage during the boiling water bath) and a ladle. All these items can be purchased individually as well. As well, you’ll need mason jars (new ones come with lids and rings, which can also be purchased separately if you need replacements, since the lids can only be used once). The only truly necessary items in my opinion, aside from the stock pot, are the rack, the funnel, and the jar lifter tongs. And of course, jars and lids.

My sister-in-law Jen seemed a bit amazed when I told her I was going to make jam. While she could recall helping her mom with canning projects when she was young, her memory was of complicated, time-consuming work. And sure, if you have a garden of your own that produces an abundance of produce at different points during the summer (20 bushels of tomatoes that are ripe all at once, for example), food preservation can be exactly that. But for the farmers’ market shopper or the gardener’s next door neighbor, a bit of food preservation can be a couple hours’ worth of pleasurable activity in the kitchen.

This fig jam recipe is that kind of work – three pounds of figs will yield three or four pints of jam. I like my jam in half- and quarter-pint jars (some to give as gifts), and this recipe left me with six half pints and two quarter pints. Perfect.

I invited Jen to come over on Saturday, and we made jam. She was impressed with how fast it went. An hour or so, and we had a line of jars on the counter filled with the ruby red stuff.

Most jam recipes call for the addition of lemon juice, which increases the acidity level of the jam and helps it set (become thick). I added the zest of the lemons I juiced, because the flavor of lemon zest is lovely with any fruit. I also decided to stew a vanilla bean in the jam as it cooked, and I’m so glad I did, because its subtle undertone complements the figs perfectly.

L has been gobbling this up on toast. I can’t blame her. Next stop: homemade fig newtons.

Note: it’s important that the jam is cooked thoroughly before you add the lemon juice and pectin. If it’s not, you won’t get a proper set.

Fig Jam with Vanilla Bean and Lemon Zest

Necessary equipment:
4-5 quart non-reactive pot for cooking the jam (I use my Le Creuset)
20-quart stock pot with lid and jar rack to place in the bottom, for the boiling water bath that will seal your jars
Small saucepan
6-8 half pint mason jars with new lids and rings
Canning funnel
Jar lifter

Ingredients:
3 pounds of figs
Zest and juice of two lemons
1 vanilla bean, split and seeded (seeds reserved)
4 cups sugar (I use evaporated cane juice)
1 packet liquid pectin (3 ounces)

First, prep the figs. Wash them and cut off their tops, then cut them into chunks. No need to peel them. The skins will soften and cook down, and will create the gorgeous red color.

Split the vanilla bean with a knife. Use the back of a spoon or your thumbnail to scrape out the seeds. Zest and juice the lemon. Set aside.

Fill the stock pot 2/3 full of water, add your jars (without the lids), cover, and place over high heat. The jars will sterilize when the water comes to a boil.

Place the lids and rings in the small saucepan, and cover with water. Place over medium-low heat to come to a gentle simmer. This will sterilize the lids.

In the 4-5 quart pot over medium-low heat, stir together the chopped figs and the sugar.

As the sugar begins to melt and cause the figs to produce juice, increase the heat to medium high and add the vanilla bean pod and its seeds, then the lemon zest. Bring to a gentle boil. Cook, stirring frequently, until the jam thickens and becomes very syrupy, about 20-25 minutes.

While the jam is cooking, remove the jars from the pot of boiling water. A jar lifter is invaluable here. No need to dry them – just place them on a towel. The water will quickly evaporate off them, and you’ll be ready to go. Also remove the lids from the simmering water in the smaller pan

Add the lemon juice and pectin to the jam, and return to a boil. Allow to boil pretty vigorously for about five minutes more. You should see that beautiful ruby color appear by this point.

Ladle the jam into the jars using a wide-mouthed funnel if you have one. Take care to leave a quarter inch of “headspace” (only fill the jars up to a quarter inch from the top). Wipe off any jam from the edge of the rims with a clean, damp cloth. Oh, and don’t forget to fish out the vanilla bean pod!

Place a lid on each jar, making sure the rubber seal is settled properly against the rim of the jar. Add the screw-on rings, tightening with your fingertips. Do not over-tighten, as the glass will expand slightly as it heats up!

Gently lower the jars into the boiling water, right side up. If the water level rises too high, dip out some of the water with a measuring cup, small pitcher, or ladle.

Bring back to a boil (this may take a few moments; you can put the lid on to expedite this if you wish). Once the water is boiling again, you can start timing the processing step.

After 10 minutes, gently remove the jars from the boiling water and place them on a towel. As the temperature of the jars drops, you will hear a “pinging” sound as each lid seals. Allow to cool completely.

If you are unsure whether a jar is sealed, press on the lid gently with your fingertip. If it doesn’t move, it’s sealed. If you can make it “bubble” up and down, it didn’t seal for some reason. But no need to toss the jam; just refrigerate and use.

Makes 3-4 pints.

Here’s the printable recipe!

Happy jamming!