I made one batch of this jam on the weekend and was so happy with it I went back and bought more figs today and did another 12 jars. Maybe next year when the special effects/jam technology progresses even further I'll go back in to the recipe again and make more improvements but as it stands so far it's pretty darn good!
All kidding aside (how will I show my face at Fan Expo next year?) this fig jam is excellent with aged and runny goats cheeses or as part of a grilled cheese with gouda or havarti or as I discovered tonight as a pizza with prosciutto and arugula.
Fig Preserves Special Edition, Rereleased (Greedo shoots first!)
24 figs (one of those little flats or a few small baskets)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
½ cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon orange zest (zest about half a large orange)
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1. Sterilize 12 clean 125 ml jars and lids in boiling water or run them through the dishwasher set to extra hot setting. Keep jars and sealing discs hot until ready to use.
2. In a large saucepan, combine figs, sugar, vinegar and orange zest.
3. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat, cover and boil gently until soft, about 10 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor fitted with a metal blade or use an immersion hand blender and purée leaving it slightly chunky and rustic looking. Stir in black pepper.
4. Ladle hot preserves into a hot jar to within 1/4 inch of top of jar (headspace). Wipe jar rim with a clean dampened cloth to remove any drips or smears. Centre hot snap lid on clean jar rim. Screw band down "fingertip" tight. Place filled jars in your canner filled with boiling water - a pasta pot or asparagus pot also works if you don't have a canner pot or you can buy a universal round rack that fits in the bottom of most large stock pots - basically you don't want the jars touching the bottom of the pot - this could cause breakage. Repeat for remaining jam.
5. When canner is filled, ensure that all jars are covered by at least one inch of water. Cover canner and bring water to full rolling boil before starting to count processing time. Boil filled jars for 6 minutes.
6. When processing time is complete, turn stove off, remove canner lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars without tilting and place them upright on your counter on top of a towel (this is so your jars don't crack coming from a hot pot to a cold countertop). Cool upright, undisturbed 24 hours.
7. After cooling check jar seals. Sealed lids curve downward and do not move when pressed. Remove screw bands; wipe and dry bands and jars. Store screw bands separately or replace loosely on jars, as desired. Label and store jars in a cool, dark place. Refrigerate any unsealed jars and eat within a month.
Fig, prosciutto and arugula pizza
When I first saw this recipe on Pioneer Woman I knew I had to make it. Today's jam adventure yielded 12 jars plus extra that just wasn't enough to fill a 13th jar. This was a perfect use for that extra jam! A tour through the fridge showed we also had both mozzarella and parmesan cheese, prosciutto and we always have arugula in the garden (it's our favourite salad green).
Now unlike the Pioneer Woman I don't make my own pizza dough. This is for two reasons, first, I live in Toronto's Corso Italia neigbourhood and all the local bakeries sell fresh pizza dough for about $1.50. I can't make dough that good for that little. Second, yeasted doughs scare me. I don't make breads or pizzas doughs because they include yeast and it's alive. It freaks me out and I admit is completely irrational.
It's super easy. Dough is spread with fig preserves, topped with mozzarella and baked off until golden in a 450 degree oven.
When it's pulled out of the oven it's topped with slices of prosciutto, arugula and some fresh grated parmesan.
It's heavenly, a perfect blend of sweet, savoury, cheesy and peppery from the arugula. What a easy and delicious dinner. This would also be good cut into small pieces as an appetizer or at a party.
So, do you use the same recipes for your canning every year? Or like old George can you just not leave well enough alone and keep tinkering? Do you bravely make your own pizza dough and yeast be damned? Let me know in the comments area below!
