Super quick fig jam
In her book The flavour Thesaurus, Niki Segnit writes:
“Fresh figs are sweet, with a light berry flavour overshadowed by the heady perfume that develops when they’re properly ripe. They’re very difficult to transport at this stage, so for optimal flavour you need either to live near a reliable source or to grow them yourself.”
My grandfather must have known this when he decided to plant two fig trees in our garden.
To be completely honest, fresh figs never really appealed to me. I thought their flavour to be bland and their texture grainy and mushy. That was until this summer. It must have been the exceptional warmth that was felt all over Portugal, but the fact is that I've never eaten so many figs in my life and they never tasted so good!
I'm already planning to dry many of the ones that are still on the tree, but first, I thought about making a very quick, raw fig jam.
Super Quick Fig Jam (makes 1 cup)
12-14 fresh ripe figs
1 tbsp of date paste
3 drops of vanilla extract
A squeeze of lemon juice
A pinch of salt
1 cinnamon tick
First, peel the figs. Put them in a very clean glass jar and mash them with the help of a muddler or a wooden spoon. It's ok if it stays a bit chunky. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Enjoy it with bread, toasts or in your yogurt. It will pair vary well with salty and fatty ingredients.
