A mix of different fig varieties, white and black.

As Habeeb tells us in her introduction to this recipe:

“Originating in western Asia, figs are one of our most ancient foods. In the Bible Adam used a fig leaf to restore his dignity and Buddha is said to have received his revelations under a fig tree. In the Mediterranean countries since the times of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, figs have always been greatly valued. Today figs are grown extensively in California, Greece, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Lebanon and Syria, but the best figs come from Smyrna in Turkey.”

Well, I don’t know about that last statement, there are certainly many delicious varieties of fig grown in Morocco and here at Farm Finn we get 2 fig seasons a year. This is made with figs from the first season and mixes white and black figs. Personally I’m a big fan of white figs, especially those that grow near to the well by the river.

Note to self, lets make jam from the different areas next year and do the test taste!

Process.

Boil into a wonderfully sticky gloop.

Wash and tear the figs and squeeze your lemons (to paraphrase Shaun Ryder!). Then add to the pot with sufficient water to prevent burning and sugar to taste (less is more I find) along with your taste of cinnamon sticks. Size matters when chopping figs and you can go for nice big chunks of the fruit or smaller, smoother jam … or both, why not!

Bring to the boil and cover to simmer for 20 minutes or so. Remember to keep stirring, there’s plenty of room for burning here. Cook until you achieve your preferred consistency.

Prepare your containers and fill with the steaming thick gooey content….. trying not to eat too much on the way.

Try not to eat it all at once.

Additional Notes.

Habeeb adds fennel seeds and cloves to the jam ingredients instead of cinnamon. You can add a number of different spices, try out and taste for your preference. I love to slip in a couple of chillies, though I haven’t tested this on the general public. Perhaps we’ll try that with next seasons crop come August.

I add a vine leaf to the top to reduce the risk of mould.