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My Take on Fig Jam

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One of the best things about our new home is the huge fig tree growing in the back yard, just outside my office window. I've been compiling lots of fig recipes on Pinterest this summer to prepare for the fig harvest. This week, figs have been ripe and ready for picking each day. I've already picked about 3 lbs and there are still loads more waiting to ripen.
Sunday night, I decided to try my first batch of Fig Jam. Oh my word... that stuff was amazing. I gifted a couple jars to my neighbors and kept one for us, but it's already almost gone. I will be making it again for sure. I'm also planning on making a yummy fig, caramelized onion & gorgonzola flatbread for dinner this week. I'm sure it will be amazing too.

I found a lot of jam recipes out there but most of them added different spices and other ingredients when I really just wanted something simple. I cut out all that other stuff and added only the basics: sugar, honey, lemon juice and water. Here's my take on Fig Jam:

Slow-Cooker Fig Jam:

Ingredients:
  1. About 1 lb of fresh figs, washed, stems removed
  2. Juice of 3 lemons
  3. About 1/2 cup of sugar
  4. About 1/4 cup of honey
  5. 1/2 cup water
Directions: Turn on your slow-cooker to high and let it warm up. Quarter your figs while you wait. Toss them into the cooker and then add the lemon juice, sugar, honey and water. Cover the cooker and keep it on high for about 1 hour. Reduce the temp to low and let it cook for about 9 hours (overnight!). If you're able to, peek in on your cooking jam every couple hours to make sure it's not too dry and burning. If it is, add a 1/4 cup water and give it a stir. Once it's done, start a large pot of boiling water. Spoon the jam into sterilized canning jars (leaving about 1/2 inch space from the top) and put the tops on. Add the jars to the boiling water for 10 minutes. If the water is boiling too heavy, reduce the heat to there's a soft boil. Since I don't have a fancy-schmancy canning kit, I had to use small pasta strainer utensil to scoop out my jars and put them on a dry towel. Let them cool. After a few minutes, you should notice that the flat metal tops of the lids have depressed and you can no longer push them in. This means they are sealed and ready to store. Gift some jars to your family, friends or neighbors and be sure to keep one for yourself!

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