Did I mention that this past Saturday was the Fall Equinox?
Couldn’t tell could you? Me either.
I missed out on some things this Summer: the beach. First and the most important.
I don’t feel like ate enough meat either. The grilled kind.
Missed out on my grilled vegetables too.
Highly contrasted photos of grilled meats next to the rich vibrant colors of heirloom tomatoes in all of their raw, juicy glory. Grilled, golden almost mustard-y colored peaches.
All of these things on a giant wood farm house table with carefully but politely (mis)matched napkins and dinnerware. Oh, there might be some people too. Maybe.
Nope you won’t find those here.
Move along.
I wanted to infuse liquor with all the Summer’s best fruits. This didn’t happen either.
I certainly didn’t get enough peaches or figs. Certainly not figs. Here it feels like Summer most of the time so I am definitely not pining for warmer weather.
This past week I got one last ditch chance at redemption: late season figs and peaches. I thought them gone. Out of my life until next season.
Year.
Next. YEAR.
But I have my ways.
If I told y’all what I had to do/go through/hours of my life tracking down and finally purchasing these elusive items it would send you, like me, over the dang edge.
Or to whiskey—which worked out just fine.
Just to make jam—on the Fall Equinox.
I like to think of this ‘Summer Resolutions’ thing as a mid-year checkpoint.
To get our shit together. Be real. Be ready. Ready for the impending holiday season.
Say what?
Yeah.
That’s only a few months away.
Don’t even think about it.
By the end of the holiday season we’ll be out of the frying pan. Some of us. Some of us will be gearing up for Carnival. But that. That’s another story. For now, there’s still figs. And peaches.
Fennel-infused Sherry and Fig Jam
(adapted slightly from Blue Chair Jam Cookbook)
5 lbs of Black Mission Figs, de-stemmed
–2 lbs cut up into eighths, 3 lbs de-stemmed left whole
2 oz of crystallized ginger, chopped
½ tsp of cinnamon
3 tsp of fennel seeds
2 oz sherry
3 lbs of white cane sugar
4 oz lemon juice
Yields: 9—1/2 pint jars
Preheat your oven to 250, this is to seal the jars.
De-stem all of the figs.
Place 5 spoons in the freezer.
Reserve 2 lbs to be cut into eighths. Mix the slivered figs with 3 lbs white cane sugar, ginger and cinnamon. Set aside. Did mention the cutting up 2 lbs into slivers? Do it. Now.
Take the remaining 3 lbs of figs along with the largest stainless steel kettle you own and lay them single layer into the bottom of kettle. Add about ½ inch of water. Place pot over medium-high heat with lid for 5 mins. Once the figs have started to breakdown take a potato masher and crush the figs further until well broken down. Return to heat, uncovered for 20 to 30 mins stirring occasionally with a wood spoon.
While the whole figs are stewing down take your 3 tsp of fennel seeds and coarsely grind them in your food mill/coffee grinder. Add the ground fennel seeds to the 2 oz of sherry and pour into a small saucepan over medium high heat until the sherry just barely starts to simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.
Okay I am going to get real here.
Real about the fact that this.
This here recipe. Is labor-intensive.
You may want to wear a suit or a long sleeve shirt because these little unsuspecting figs will pop like hot bacon grease if you are not stirring. Stirring. All. The. Dang. TIME.
I digress–back to the recipe.
Once the figs have cooked down to a somewhat glossy appearance it is time to remove them from the heat. Allow to cool for just about 10 minutes because next. Next. You have got run them whole cooked figs through either a food mill or a potato ricer. Yours truly only had the potato ricer. Again, wear an old crappy long sleeve shirt for this.
Take a cup or so of cooked whole figs at time and press them through the potato ricer into the spiced and sugar bowl of fig slivers. Be sure to scrape the sides of your potato ricer after each mash.
Disgard the thick skins pressed into the bottom of that dang potato ricer.
Each time you press through the ricer. Each. Time.
Once you are done ricing all the whole figs into the sugary fig mixture return the stainless steel kettle to the stove. Pour the combined mixture into the kettle and cook for another 20 minutes.
Here’s where you have to.
Have.
To.
Stir.
Constantly.
I had fig jam on my arms. On my wall. On my floor.
And my feet. The dog enjoyed this the most.
Once the figs darken further in color and the mixture appears glossy strain the fennel from the sherry. Reserve the sherry and add the sherry with the lemon juice to the jam. Stir it. IN.
It will appear thick. Molten like lava.
Remove it from the heat. Turn off that dang burner.
It is time to test it!
Grab a spoon from the freezer then take a small sample of jam with the wooden and place the sample of jam on the freezer spoon. Place in the freezer for 3 to 4 minutes. After 3 minutes remove the tester of jam from the freezer and hold the sample vertically allowing the jam to ‘run’ off the spoon. If it is gloppy and runs slowly, it’s done!
And congratulations!
If not, if it happens to be real runny and slides from the spoon to your finger pretty quickly, before you even get it vertical then you need to return the mixture to medium heat for another 3 to 5 minutes. Testing and sampling again.
Fill 9—1/2 pint jars about ½" from the top and loosely screw on the lids. Place in the oven for 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the stove top. You should hear the lids popping closed over the next 10 to 20 minutes.
That was a lot.
Is it worth it? Sure.
Does it make a great Christmas present? Heck, yes.
Oh and serve with bacon. Because pork and figs go oh, oh, so well together.