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Homemade Fig, Vanilla and Black Pepper Jam

A little cafe surrounded by a kitchen garden - windows with fluttering lace curtains - a big oven on one side - cinnamon, yeast, vanilla scents in the air - sounds of happy chatter - the aroma of fresh coffee brewing - people waiting in anticipation of a simple good time - a cup of good coffee or ch
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Course condiments
Cuisine American
Servings 2 jars

Ingredients
  

  • 1 kg figs fresh
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1/2 vanilla (pod)
  • cinnamon cinnamon OR use a stick + (1/2 tsp) ground
  • 1 tsp black pepper coarsely ground
  • 3 tbsps apple cider vinegar lemon juice balsamic vinegar / or
  • 1/2 tsp butter

Instructions
 

  • Recipe Adapted from Taste.
  • Wash, dry and remove stems of figs. Peel and chop finely. Most recipes from international websites don't ask for the fruit to be peeled, but Indian figs are very thick skinned, therefore better off peeled.
  • Slice the vanilla pod and scrape the seeds with the end of the knife, add this to the chopped figs.
  • In a large bowl, add all the ingredients, including the scraped vanilla pod, cover and keep overnight. [at this stage you could either keep the bowl of ingredients covered in the refrigerator overnight and proceed with jam making in the morning or proceed with the process immediately. I left it in the fridge overnight.
  • After the mixture has sat in the fridge overnight, transfer them to a heavy bottomed steel pan or anodized pan, bring to a simmer on medium flame.
  • Keep stirring off and on so that the sugar does not stick to the bottom and burn.
  • In around 20 minutes, the mixture will start to thicken. Remove from flame. Cool thoroughly.
  • Meanwhile place two empty clean and dry glass jam jars bottles without their lids in the microwave for one minute. This is to quick sterilise the bottles.
  • Once cooled to room temperature, spoon the jams into the two jars. I'd say I got roughly two jars of 300-350 grams each.
  • Close them tight and keep in fridge. Use within a month.