Fig and Port jam

Long time no see, but I'm back! Hopefully for a long time now. Trying to catch up with latest stuff and I find out that can't read food blogs now, because I'm so jealous! Figs are in season everywhere except New Zealand, but accidentally I haven't posted this recipe in April (when the figs are in season here), so lucky you! This jam has an interesting Port accent which makes it such a great pair to a cheeses or for rich red meats such as duck. Use this jam to make great sauces for roasted duck... delicious! And it's really easy to make.

Ingredients: 
1 kg black mission figs
800 grams sugar
50 ml Port
3 tbsp lemon juice.

Cut the figs into quarters, put in a heavy bottom pan, cover the figs with sugar and leave for a day at room temperature.

Put the pan on the stove and bring to a boil, then reduce heat to minimum and cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. Process cooled jam in a blender or food processor and pass through a sieve to discard the skin pieces (optionally). 

Return the pan to a heat, add lemon juice and simmer until desired consistency, then add the Port and simmer for another couple of minutes. Pour into sterilized jars.

Enjoy!

Feijoa, pear and white wine jam

Ingredient (Make about two 300 ml jars):
2 cups Feijoa pulp (cut fruit in half and scoop out the contents with a spoon)
1 cups of sugar
2 firm pears (peeled and cut on small pieces)
100 ml sweet white wine

Method
1. Scoop out the fruits from the feijoa.
2. Put fruits into a pot and add wine.
3. Boil on medium heat until the fruits are soft (about 15 minutes). Stir occasionally. Use a potato masher to gently mash the fruit.
4. Add sugar and stir until dissolve.
5. Bring to a rapid boil and continue to boil for about 20 minutes or until the mix reach setting point, giving it the occasional stir.
6.Pour into sterilized jars, seal and store in a cool place.



Enjoy!

Persimmon and orange jam

Do you love persimmons as I do? They are best to eat raw straight from the tree, but this year we have quite a big harvest in our garden, so I decided to make a little bit of jam. And it's so tasty and beautiful - like a little sun in a jar. 

Ingredients:
2 cups of ripe persimmon, skin removed and cut into small pieces
1-1,5 cup sugar (depends on the desired sweetness of jam)
juice of 1 orange
grated rind of half an orange
2 tbsp vodka

Put the persimmons, sugar, juice and zest in a heavy based pot and cook over medium heat, stirring often, about 20 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Return to the heat, mash slightly with a potato masher and bring to boil. Pour the vodka and cook for 10 minutes on low heat.

Pour hot jam into sterilized jars, seal and store in cool place.




Enjoy!

Feijoa and passion fruit jam

One of my favorite jams. It tastes just amazing :) 

Ingredient (Make about two 300 ml jars.):
2 cups Feijoa pulp (cut fruit in half and scoop out the contents with a spoon)
1.5 cups of sugar
2 large passion fruits (pulp scooped out and mashed to separate juice and seeds)
2 tbsp vodka
100 ml water

Method
1. Scoop out the fruits from the feijoa.
2. Put fruits into a pot and add water.
3. Boil on medium heat until the fruits are soft (about 15 minutes). Stir occassionally. Use a potato masher to gently mash the fruit.
4. Add sugar, passion fruit pulp with seeds and stir until dissolve.
5. Bring to a rapid boil and continue to boil for about 20 minutes or until the mix reach setting point, giving it the occasional stir.
6. Add vodka and stir to mix.
7.Pour into sterilized jars, seal and store in a cool place.

Enjoy!

Whole fig jam

Absolutely delicious jam, especially with good cheese and glass of wine!  

500 g ripe figs (without damage on the surface)
500 g fine sugar
100 ml Armagnac (brandy, rum)
50 ml lemon juice (1 / 3 tsp. Citric acid)

Wash and dry figs on a paper towels.
Make a needle punctures on the surface (about 1 cm distance between the punctures).

Put figs into a bowl (preferably in one layer) and cover with sugar.
Cover and leave for 3 days. Do not stir!

Put figs on the heat, add the brandy and lemon juice.
When the jam starts to boil, immediately reduce heat to a minimum, and cook for 40 minutes (jam must boil, but foam wouldn't formed on the surface).

Remove jam from heat, cover with a towel and leave until the next day. DO NOT STIR!

On the next day bring jam to boil and cook for another 30 minutes on a minimum heat. Cool and pour into clean jars.

Enjoy!

Thanks Carina for this amazing recipe!

Strawberry jam with vanilla and pepper

I like jams with whole berries. And I often use berries from jam in desserts and for cake decoration. Today I tell you how to make strawberry jam with vanilla and pepper. Fantastic jam with beautiful vanilla flavor, perhaps the most delicious jam I've ever tried.

1 kg strawberries
1 vanilla pod
5 peas of black pepper
800 gr. sugar
2 tbsp. lemon juice
2 tablespoon vodka


Grind the black pepper in a mortar, cut the vanilla pod into 4 pieces, scrape the seeds out. Clean strawberries, put them in the pan, sprinkle with sugar. Add vanilla seeds, vanilla pod pieces and pepper.
Put on the medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Leave to cool, keep in a cool place for a couple of hours (or overnight), to allow berries to soak in syrup.

Pour the vodka and put the pot on low heat. Bring it to boil, skim the foam. Cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on the variety of strawberry, if more juice was formed it need more time to boil). Remove from heat. Remove vanilla pod pieces. Cool and pour into sterilized jars.



Enjoy!

Strawberry jam with rosemary, juniper berries and balsamic vinegar

Today I tell you how to make Strawberry jam with rosemary, juniper berries and balsamic vinegar. Exciting and aromatic jam with whole strawberries. Also it's a best accompaniment to your cheese plate. 

INGREDIENTS
500 g strawberries (fresh or frozen)
1 sprig fresh rosemary
300 gr. sugar
2 tbsp vodka
5 juniper berries
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
little bit of cracked black pepper


Clean strawberries, put them in the pan, sprinkle with sugar. Add rosemary sprig and juniper berries. Put on the medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Leave to cool, keep in a cool place for a couple of hours (or overnight), to allow berries to soak in syrup.

Pour the vodka and balsamic vinegar, add black pepper. Put the pot on low heat. Bring it to boil, skim the foam. Cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on the variety of strawberry, if more juice was formed it need more time to boil). Remove from heat. Remove rosemary and juniper berries. Cool and pour into sterilized jars.



Enjoy!

Strawberry jam with mint and port

At the height of summer and strawberry season it is perfect time to make delicious jams. I made a few variations with strawberries. Today I tell you how to make strawberry jam with mint and port. Exciting and aromatic jam, perhaps the most delicious jam I've ever tried.

INGREDIENTS
500 g strawberries (fresh or frozen)
5 leaves fresh mint
300 gr. sugar
4 tbsp port wine (sherry).

Clean strawberries, put them in the pan, sprinkle with sugar. Put on the medium heat, bring to a boil and cook for 2 minutes. Leave to cool, keep in a cool place for a couple of hours (or overnight), to allow berries to soak in syrup.

Pour the port and put a mint leaves. Put the pot on low heat. Bring it to boil, skim the foam. Cook for 5-10 minutes (depending on the variety of strawberry, if more juice was formed it need more time to boil). Remove from heat. Remove mint leaves. Cool and pour into sterilized jars.

Enjoy!