Fresh Fig Jam
700g of fresh, sweet figs
Juice of two lemons
600g golden caster sugar
Wash the figs then slice into quarters. Pop the figs into a largish pan with a heavy base and place over a medium to low heat and add the lemon juice. Allow the figs to slowly melt and break down. This will take about 20 minutes. Be patient with it as it is worth the wait. Once the figs look soft and cooked, add the caster sugar. Stir the sugar to coat all the figs and once the sugar has melted, turn up the heat and allow the figs to boil for a good 10 minutes to reach the setting point. How I check that the jam is ready is by getting a cold saucer and putting a bit of the hot jam on it and then running my finger through. If there is a clear path through the jam, it is ready. If not, boil for a little longer. The good thing with jam is that if you think it is cooked and you pot it up, but realise when the jam is cooled that it is too runny, you can put it all back in the pan and bring it back to the boil until to have reached the correct setting point.
This jam was utterly delicious with toasted brioche and chicken liver pâté, fresh from the charcuterie.
