Peppered Balsamic Fig Jam

By JMBT

Adapted from Put ’em Up!
Yield: 4 half pints

Ingredients

• 5 cups figs, de-stemmed and chopped (approximately 2 pounds or 18 figs)
• 1 cup water
• 3 tablespoons bottled lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns, tied in a sachet of cheesecloth or in a spice bag
• 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1 cup sugar

Preparation

Step 1

Bring the figs and water to a boil in a large nonreactive pot. Reduce heat and simmer 5 minutes to soften the fruit. Use a potato masher or wooden spoon to crush figs and break up the skins.
Add sugar, vinegar and lemon juice, and peppercorn sachet and return to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring frequently, until thick and jammy but not dry, about 20 minutes.
Test for gel. Remove from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes, stirring to release air bubbles.
Ladle into clean, hot, 4-ounce or half-pint canning jars, leaving a quarter-inch of headspace. Release trapped air with a chopstick. Wipe the rims clean with a moistened paper towel; add lids and bands.
Process 10 minutes in a boiling water bath. Start timing only after full boil is reached.
Turn off heat, remove canner lid, and let jars rest in the water for 5 minutes. Remove jars and set aside for 24 hours. Check seals (press firmly on lid; lid should not flex), then store in a cool, dark place for up to a year.