Brandy infused fig jam with fresh sprigs of thyme. Sounds super decadent, right?
The truth is, this jam is amazing. It’s rich and sweet with hints of lemon and soft, lingering tastes of thyme layering their way through the flavours. There’s nothing fig newton about this jam!
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Use a Blend of Sugars
We used a blend of white sugar and raw (unrefined) organic cane sugar to make the jam darker. The original recipe from Bon Appétit called for white sugar only, but because we were using Calimyra figs and they have green skins, we wanted to make sure the colour was dark enough.
Add a Little Thyme
We added sprigs of fresh thyme to give the jam a slight savoury boost, and got this idea from another recipe we were considering. We went a little easy on the thyme because we didn’t want it to take over the flavour, but if we do this again we will probably add a few more sprigs.
Jar it Up with Gifts in Mind
The recipe calls for half pint jars, but we chose to fill both half and quarter pints, because the little quarter pints make such great gifts! This jam is rich in flavour as well, and we would rather open a smaller jar to enjoy than having it sit too long in the fridge. As a bench-mark for the richer flavour of this jam, think of brandy (or rum) sauce that gets drizzled over Christmas pudding. This jam is not quite that rich and sweet, but the flavours lean in that direction.
A Decadent Savoury Delight
If you find you have way too many figs like I wrote about here, I recommend you give this brandy infused fig jam recipe a try. It is one way to make short work of 4 pounds of fresh figs in a hurry! Think of this preserve as the perfect addition to an evening with friends. A dollop of fig jam on a bite of blue cheese or oven baked Brie, and you’ve elevated a quick and easy appetizer to an evening of decadent savoury delight!
Enjoy!
Photographs © Audrey Would! Vintage Home
| Prep Time | 30 minutes |
| Cook Time | 2 hours |
| Passive Time | 3 hours |
| Servings |
1/2 pint jars
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- 2 Whole Lemons
- 4 Pounds Ripe, Fresh Figs
- 2 Cups White Sugar
- 2 Cups Raw Cane Sugar
- 3/4 Cups Brandy or Cognac
- 1/2 Tsp Course Kosher Salt
- 6 Sprigs Fresh Thyme (not dried)
Ingredients
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- Peel long strips of lemon rind off whole lemons using a vegetable peeler. Cut peeled strips into thin, matchstick-size strips (about 3 TBSP).
- Remove stems from figs and cut into 1/2-inch pieces. Combine lemon peel, figs, sugar, brandy and 1/2 tsp course salt in large, deep saucepan; let stand at room temperature 1 hour, stirring occasionally.
- After one hour, bring fig mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium; continue to boil until jam thickens and is reduced to 6-ish cups, stirring frequently and occasionally mashing mixture with potato masher to crush down large figs, 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Meanwhile, prepare your jars and lids by adding boiling water to clean jars and let sit. Set lids into pot of boiling water, turn off heat and let sit until ready to use.
- Ladle mixture into hot clean 1/2 pint jars. We also used 1/4 pint jars because they make great little gifts in this size.
- Wipe jar rims and threads with clean damp cloth. Cover with hot lids and twist on the rings making sure to twist a little more than finger tight.
- Submerge jars into canning kettle of boiling water, and process for 10 minutes. Be sure to keep the water on the boil.
- Remove jars from water and let cool completely. Store in dark, cool place for up to 1 year.
Don't overdo the salt!
Add sprigs of thyme, or not. Thyme just gives it a slight savoury edge.
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