Chili Honey Fig Jam

Our world has changed drastically in just a few months. Everything seemed to change from in person to virtual overnight. I'm sure each individual person has their own story on how the pandemic affected their life. I have come to the realization that the intrusion of Covid-19 has blessed me with time to explore. I love going on adventures and I feel as though each week I have traveled on a different adventure. This week's adventure just happened to be Chili Fig Honey Jam!

Ingredients: 

2 lbs of figs 

1 1/2 cups of white sugar* 

1 whole lemon (juice)

2 tsp chili flakes 

2 red chili peppers (stems cut off) *

1 tablespoon of honey

Immersion Blender

Recipe: 

1. Slice stems off figs and quarter them. 

2. Add the figs and sugar to a pot. 

3. Add in the lemon juice, chili flakes and chili red peppers. *The chili red peppers are added to the mixture whole with just the tips cut off. They are just used to add some heat. *Taste your fruit. If the figs are sweet add less sugar if they are tart add more sugar. I cannot stress this enough- the sugar amount depends on the sweetness level of the figs-taste and adjust as needed. 

4. Bring the fig mixture to a roaring boil. Once a boil is consistent for at least 2 minutes reduce to summer and cook for an additional 10 minutes. 

5. You can test the mixture by placing a plate in the freezer. Once the plate is cold place a little bit of the fig jam on the plate. If it holds its form and you are happy with the texture then stop now. If it is still loose continuing cooking the jam for an additional 5 minutes. Check again. 

6. Remove the red chili peppers. Add in the honey and stir throughout the jam. 

7. Take an immersion blender and blend it until smooth. 

8. Pour the jam into stirilized jars. It should last about a week to twos in your fridge. 

9. Opt. You may can this jam. If you choose to can it bring a large pot of water to simmer with the jars and lids inside. The jars need to be warm before you put the hot jam inside. Once the jars are warm fill the jars with jam and put the lids on. Place the filled jars back in the  pot with water. Boil the jars for 10 minutes. Move the jars to a flat surface and do not move them for 24 hours. They should now last in a cool dark place for up to 6 months. Once you open the jars make sure to refrigerate. 

With this recipe I would encourage tasting throughout the process. Make sure the heat and sweet levels are what you enjoy. Everyone is different and this is your time to customize. I hope that you take time to explore new things. 

Happy travels! 

Peace, Love, and Fig Jam

-Ballinwiththebergs