Napa Farmhouse 1885™: Fig & Grand Marnier Jam

When we purchased our farmhouse in Napa the fruit trees on the property were a selling point. Fig, persimmon, pear, Meyer lemon, Mandarin orange, lime...I was in love. Then everything started ripening at once and, massive amounts of fruit later, I needed to figure out what to do with it all. We ate fruit every day...every meal. I made pies, tarts, cookies, cakes, savory dishes...you name it. We gave bagfuls away. Donated to the food pantry and still had tons. My only solutions was to begin to make jam. Lots and lots of jam.

This was the basis for my company, napa farmhouse 1885. We sold many types of jam, marmalade, chutney & preserves all made from the fruit trees on our property. We later added dog treats, granola, spice blends and a bath & body care line but that is another story. Late last year I put the company on "pause" mode so I could spend time dealing with a family illness. Now, I am not sure I will reopen the business. Pause mode is kinda nice. :)

fig and persimmon jam

Our Fig & Grand Marnier was a best seller from day one...and I get email requests for it all the time. I thought I would share the recipe so you can take advantage of fig season. This jam makes a terrific gift and, if you process it, will last a year, unopened. I have given instructions and a link to a canning guide if this is new to you. If you don't want to take the time to can (really easy, I promise) you can package the cooked, hot jam in clean jam jars and store in the refrigerator for a couple of weeks.

fig jam bubbling on the stove

Of course this jam is delicious on toast, biscuits and bagels, but I also love it paired with a cheese plate and wheat crackers, or spread on roasted chicken or pork during the last 5 minutes of cooking, or used as the filling for thumbprint cookies, cake layers or Blondie brownies. Try with pancakes or french toast. Many options...please tell me how you would use it. An added bonus is, when the jam jar is empty, you are left with a mason jar...I love mason jars, don't you? You can make more jam of course or use as casual water/wine glasses, food storage, craft storage, buttons, nails...endless possibilities. Enjoy!

Fig & Orange Grand Marnier Jam

4 lbs ripe figs

3 cups organic sugar

large pinch kosher salt

1 Meyer lemon

¾ c orange liqueur (I prefer Grand Marnier)

Remove stems from figs and discard. Coarsely chop figs and place in jam pot. Add sugar and salt, stir to combine. Remove peel from lemon using a microplane grater. Add zest to pot. Add liqueur. Stir and let sit for 1 hour. Stir occasionally.

Cook over medium heat until figs come to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until jam thickens (35-45 minutes). When stirring, use the back of your spoon to mash the figs into small pieces. You will know it is ready when you can place a spoonful of jam on a cold plate (refrigerate a plate for 1 hour to prep) and jam sticks (does not run).

Ladle hot jam into hot jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Wipe rim. Center lid on jar. Apply band until fit is fingertip tight. Process in a boiling water canner for 10 minutes, adjusting for altitude. Remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.
(Note, if you are new to canning/preserving, check out the resource guide at Ball)

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Additional fig recipes you may enjoy:
fresh fig appetizer
fresh fig bruschetta
romaine salad with roasted figs and pine nuts
fig, bacon & blue cheese tart with balsamic reduction drizzle
roasted pork tenderloin with figs & balsamic reduction
thumbprint cookies with fig-grand marnier jam

best,
diane

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