Fig and Roast Almond Jam

Last week my friend gave me a bag of delicious figs, and we couldn't eat them as fast as they were ripening, so I decided yesterday to make some fig jam. I love Beerenberg's Fig and Almond Jam and so I tried (successfully) to replicate it. I looked up quite a few recipes, but then decided to just keep it simple. Here is my recipe:

Fig and Roast Almond Jam

Ingredients
Figs
Sugar
Lemon
Mixed Spice
Large handful of Almonds (we just happened to have roasted ones in the pantry)
Medium sized jars, washed and labels removed (I only needed 4)


Cut the stalks off your figs and then weigh them. Add figs into a bowl (or the saucepan you are going to cook them in) and cover with half their weight in sugar (I had 1.2kg of figs and so covered with 600gms of sugar). Cover and refrigerate overnight. Bring fig and sugar mixture to the boil and simmer until sugar has dissolved and the consistency is thick (Put a spoonful of mixture onto a saucer and place in the refrigerator to set to determine whether it is ready) - I think I had mine on the stove for about 40 minutes. While the jam is simmering place almonds in boiling water, then peel their skins off (or buy blanched almonds). Roughly chop almonds and place into mixture  along with about a teaspoon of mixed spice and the juice of half a lemon. Alter amounts to what you prefer. If you like your jam chunky (I do, yum!) scoop your figs out with a slotted spoon half way through the simmering process, simmer the syrup and then return the figs to the mixture at the end.

Now you need to sterilise your jars. Rinse jars and lids with water. Place in a warm oven, just on the racks to dry completely. While jars and jam are still hot, carefully pour or ladle your jam into the jars and seal. Then when cool cover the lids with pretty fabric, label them how you wish and enjoy or give to friends. YUM!