I did it!

So, remember way back when, on the 26th of August, 2008, when I professed an interest in canning, of jams in particular? Well, over a year later, I have finally tried my hand at this miraculous art, and my results were very good indeed. And I can assure you that now I want to do nothing but make more and more jam! Lucky you at Christmastimes to come.

My original inspiration was the unbelievably fecund fig tree growing just outside my new home. I harvest the figs every few days, and my last haul was over seven pounds!

The figs are delicious, purple and dusty green on the outside, vibrant magenta on the inside...

Aren't they beautiful?

...but there's a limit to the quantity of fresh figs even a fruit lover like myself can consume. So I bit the bullet and got a ride to the hardware store, where I picked up some jars and a few other necessary tools. Not too expensive, I was pleased!

Time to get started!

I adapted this recipe for cinnamon-fig jam; after some reflection on the natural homeland of this fruit, I decided to add a cardamom pod and a splash of rosewater, plus some extra lemon. I quadrupled the recipe.

After assembling my materials, I began by cutting the damn things into quarters... it took a while.


I then sent the figs to meet their fate in the big pot, along with a daunting quantity of sugar, some lemon juice and zest, cinnamon and cardamom, and water. The fig stew was soon boiling very well.

I stirred it fairly often over a period of nearly two hours, I think.

Interlude:Time for a snack!

Mmmmm, ants on a log.


Back to work; time to wash and sterilize the jars and lids.

I just put them in a 225 degree oven immediately after washing very well. I also boiled some water to pour over the lids when the time came. The internet had assured me that the hot-water process sealing method was unnecessary for jams, so I skipped it. I felt some trepidation, but my stove is too small to fit another big pot, and I felt secure that everything was well-sterilized.

When the mixture passed the "wrinkle test" (meaning that a dab of it stays in place on a freezer-chilled plate and wrinkles at the touch of a fingertip), it was time to wrangle it into the prepared jars. I poured the hot water over my lids and got ready to go for it.

There we go; no problem at all!

I was quite surprised at how simple the entire process was, really. Carefully following sterilization instructions was the most meticulous aspect, and really it was nothing difficult or time consuming. As I surveyed the products of my labors and began to clean up the sticky kitchen, I heard the jars beginning to "pop" -- that's when the vacuum seal between lid and jar is achieved, which can take up to 24 hours. The seal makes a satisfying little plinky noise, which I must say really made me smile with pride.

I will surely be making more fig jam later this week, as the tree shows no signs of slowing production, but I was so thrilled by the experience that I made two more batches yesterday. I know, what an overachiever!

With projects in mind, I had gotten a good deal on three lbs of tomatoes and one and a half pounds of "cosmetically-challenged" peaches at the farmer's market that morning. I decided to make Sicilian tomato jam (I basically used this recipe, with regular-sized, quartered brandywine tomatoes, and about 3/4 cup sugar) and spicy peach butter (I mostly followed this recipe, but I puréed the peach mixture with my new immersion blender -- thanks, Mum!-- and used a little less sugar).

I roasted both fruits first, because, well, why not? and they weren't quite at the pinnacle of ripeness. I sort of did the two recipes simultaneously, but I got the peaches going first because I expected it to take longer to achieve the right consistency.

Actually, both mixtures cooked for a long time, about an hour fifteen for the peaches, and two hours for the tomatoes. Their color was really impressive, and the mixture sort of glowed as it began to thicken up.

We've almost got a match, here!

I think the peaches could even have gone a bit longer, the texture is a little loose. Oh well, I was tired of stirring!

The results were vibrant.

I am pleased with the flavor, the peach is very spicy. I sort of forgot that the flavor would intensify as the fruit cooks down. I'm attributing it to my impressive foresight; it'll really be a blast of summertime in the middle of winter. Hopefully I can keep my hands off those little jars until then!

I've been keeping myself busy with all kinds of little kitchen projects as I wait for school to start (orientation begins tomorrow!). I've made vegetable stock, baked Alice Waters' oatmeal currant cookies, made several kinds of iced tea and hot concoctions, had a day of fresh juices, and mixed up some sourdough starter (I think it'll be ready tomorrow -- I can't wait to sample my jams on some hot, fresh sourdough rye bread), among other things. But this project was truly rewarding, and I will definitely be making as much jam as possible while the farmer's market and my fig tree are still being generous.