Drunken Fig Jam

By coffeycake

Ingredients

• 1 medium lemon
• 2 pounds of fresh figs (about 5 cups), stemmed and diced into small pieces
• 1 cup of honey
• 1/4 cup of brandy (or cognac, wine, or grape juice)
• 1/4 teaspoon of kosher sea salt (or other salt)

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from comfybelly.com

Preparation

Step 1

The alcohol in this recipe cooks off over time, so you’re left with the flavor and sweetness of it. You can replace the brandy with wine, or even a white or red grape juice if you want to eliminate the flavor of alcohol. Brandy and other fruity, sweeter alcohol sources will add to the sweetness of the jam, so you can reduce the amount of honey if you prefer the jam less sweet.

If you’re following a low-sugar diet, you can replace brandy with an alcohol that isn’t as sweet, such as a dry wine or dry liquor. You can also swap out a lot of the honey and replace it with another sweet fruit, such as blueberries.

1.Peel the yellow skin (not the white part) off of the lemon using a vegetable peeler. Cut the peels into small strips or pieces. You’ll have about 1 1/2 tablespoons of peels when finished.
2.Combine the lemon peels and all the other ingredients in a saucepan or non-reactive bowl, and let them all hang out together for about an hour.
3.Place the saucepan over a medium heat and bring to a steady, low boil. Cook for about 45 minutes, or until the jam is thick. Stir occasionally. As they get softer, mash the figs with a spoon or potato masher and blend well. Add water as necessary.
4.To can the jam, place the jam in sterilized jars and immerse in boiling water for 10 minutes, or just store the jam in the refrigerator for a few weeks. You can also freeze the jam, just leave some space at the top of the jar and cool before placing them in the freezer.

Makes about 4 cups