Slow Jammin' #001 - Rosemary and Fig Jam

Rosemary and Fig Jam

The idea came to me after a friend bought some fig jam as a gift from France. Figs are great because they cross the boundary between sweet and savoury. From the traditional tea time treat (and almost as controversial as Marmite) - The Fig Roll, to my grandmother's fig and parma ham salad; or, as recently discovered, fig jam with cheese and biscuits.

With fresh rosemary growing in the front garden, I wanted to create something which could celebrate the fig as a sweet accompaniment to savoury, giving a nod to memories if holidays spent in Greece, with figs and honey.

Ingredients (makes one jar)

8 ripe figs

1 cup of golden granulated sugar

Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon

4cm spring of rosemary (not the twiggy bits), finely chopped

1 tablespoon of honey

1. Stir all the ingredients over a gentle heat until the sugar has dissolved.

2. Boil over a high heat until the jam reaches setting point (this may take 30 mins).

Note - to test the setting point, drop a bit of jam onto a cold plate and it should set.

3. Let the jam cool for a bit before pouring into a sterilised jar.

4. Cover with lid whilst still hot.

5. Store in a cool, dry place.

Post jam analysis

This jam worked very well. It would be ideal with roast lamb, perhaps creating a glaze. It also tasted good with crumbly Lancashire cheese and crusty bread. Got me thinking - fig jam would be a perfect Christmas gift or stocking filler.

Have you tried making fig jam? Did you rate it?