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Corsican Recipe: Fig Jam

This fig jam recipe is foolproof and you can drizzle it over goat cheese, cow's milk cheese, you can enjoy it on whole wheat bread for a healthy mid-afternoon snack.

Ingredients:

1.5 lb fresh figs (washed, stemmed and quartered)
1.5 lb sugar (I prefer brown sugar but if you like jam sugar or white sugar go for it!)
3 drops of vanilla extract
1 small lemon (washed, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly, thinly sliced - this is optional)

Directions:

. Put figs, sugar and lemon slices into jam pot (or a medium-sized heavy pot). Stir well. Cover, and let sit at room temperature for 3 hours.

. After 3 hours, bring the mix to a boil over medium-high heat until jam is dark and syrupy. This should take about 12 to 14 minutes and your candy thermometer should reach about 220 degrees Farenheit. Remember to stir often.
While this is cooking, sterilize your canning jars (2 1-pint jars should suffice), the ring bands and the lids by boiling them for 10 minutes in a large pot. Remove from hot water and wipe dry.

. Fill each jar with the jam (stop at about 1/4 inch from rim). Wipe rims to make sure no jam is left (it would prevent a good sterilization process).
Place lid on jars and screw the ring bands.
Gently transfer the canning jars to a canning rack (helps with the handling) and into a pot of boiling water. Make sure the jars are covered with about 1" of boiling water.
Leave for 10 minutes (water should be gently boiling).
Remove jars from boiling water with tongs to avoid burning yourself. Let cool for 24 hours, undisturbed.

If you have been through the sterilization process seriously your two jars should keep for a few months. If not then keep in the fridge and eat within 4 weeks. A good test to know if your jars are well sealed is to press on center of lids and remove your fingers: if the lid stays down, it's sealed, if not, it is not and it is too late to go through a sterilization process again.

Sounds too complicated?
It is not! Guaranteed! Enjoy!

Variations:

Be creative and share the results with us
Thanks!

Serving suggestions:

This contains sugar so you want to use it in small quantities just to enjoy the taste of it!