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Figs are a storehouse of useful elements. It has been eaten since ancient times as a remedy and a unique delicacy. And after many centuries, the fruits of the fig tree have not lost their popularity. Today, various culinary masterpieces are prepared from them: marshmallow, jam, tinctures and even ordinary jam. There is just a huge variety of ways to cook such sweets with the addition of various fruits and nuts. And the simplest and most common is the recipe for making jam from figs with lemon.
Features of cooking fig jam with lemon
The main rule for making tasty and healthy fig fruit jam is to harvest a quality crop. There are two types of such a plant – black and green fruits. Figs of the first type are suitable for eating and cooking only when they acquire a dark lilac color. A green fig tree at the time of ripening has white fruits with a yellow tint.
The harvested fig berries cannot be kept fresh for a long time, therefore it is recommended to start cooking them immediately after harvesting in order to preserve as many useful substances as possible.
So that the fruits do not crack during cooking, they should be dipped into boiling syrup dried (after washing, they need to be laid out on a paper towel and blotted well).
To speed up the process of impregnating the berries with syrup and reduce the cooking time, you should pierce the fruits on both sides with a toothpick.
To increase the taste of fig jam, you can add not only lemon, but also other spices and seasonings to the classic recipe. A pinch of vanillin, cinnamon, cloves and even allspice can give a pleasant aroma and taste.
Sometimes lime or orange is added instead of lemon, and citrus zest can also be a good addition.
Lemon Fig Jam Recipes
Figs practically do not have their own aroma, therefore, various additives in the form of spices or other fruits are often used to make jam from this berry. The fig berry goes well with lemon, because it does not contain acid. With the help of a lemon, you can easily replace the right amount of acid so that the jam does not become sugary.
There are several options for making such a jam with the addition of lemon or just its juice. Below are a few simple recipes with step-by-step photos of fig jam with lemon.
Recipe for fresh fig jam with lemon
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of peeled figs;
- Xnumx g of granulated sugar;
- half a medium lemon;
- 2 a glass of water.
Step-by-step recipe:
Fig fruits are harvested (they can be purchased), cleaned of twigs, leaves and washed well.
The washed fruits are dried and the peel is removed.
The peeled fruits are placed in an enamel pan or stainless steel, and 400 g of sugar are poured. Let it brew to extract the juice.
Syrup is prepared from the remaining sugar (400 g).
Pour granulated sugar into a container where it is planned to prepare jam, pour it with two glasses of water and put on fire.
As soon as the granulated sugar dissolves, peeled figs are added to the syrup.
While the figs boil in syrup, cut the lemon. It is divided in half, the bones are removed and one half is cut into slices.
Before boiling, chopped lemon slices are added to the jam. Let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Remove the foam formed during the boil.
The finished delicacy is cooled.
Fig jam with lemon juice
Ingredients:
- 1 kg of figs;
- 3 cups sugar (600 g);
- 1,5 cup of water;
- juice from half a lemon.
A step-by-step recipe will help you prepare a dish without mistakes.
Pour 3 cups of sugar into the pan and pour 1,5 cups of water.
Sugar is mixed with water. The pot is put on fire.
While the syrup boils, cut the lemon and squeeze the juice out of one half.
Squeezed lemon juice is added to boiled sugar syrup, mixed.
Pre-washed figs are dipped into boiling syrup. Everything is gently mixed with a wooden spatula and left to simmer for 90 minutes.
The jam is ready.
Fig jam with lemon and walnuts
Ingredients:
- figs 1 kg;
- sugar 1 kg;
- hazelnuts 0,4 kg;
- half a medium lemon;
- 250 ml water.
Cooking method.
Figs are cleaned from the leaves and the leg is removed, washed well. Prepared fruits are covered with sugar 1 kg per 1 kg, let it brew (the longer it stays in sugar, the softer the fruit will be in jam).
Figs standing in sugar are put on fire. Stir until sugar dissolves. Then bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from stove, let cool.
After complete cooling, the jam is again put on fire and pre-peeled hazelnuts are added. Bring to a boil and cook for another 15 minutes. Remove from stove and let cool again.
The third time the cooled fig jam with hazelnuts is put on fire and chopped lemon slices are added to it. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the syrup resembles honey.
The finished jam is poured into sterilized jars in a warm form, tightly closed with a lid, turned over and allowed to cool completely. Ready jam can be removed for the winter.
Recipe for fig jam with lemon without cooking
Ingredients:
- 0,5 kg of figs;
- 0,5 kg of sugar;
- a couple of drops of lemon juice.
Method of preparation:
The fruits are peeled and washed well. Cut in half (if the fruit is large) and pass through a meat grinder. Leave the crushed mixture until the juice is released. Fall asleep with sugar and add a couple of drops of lemon juice. The amount of sugar and lemon juice can be increased or decreased to taste.
The mixture is well mixed and served. This jam is stored for a short time, so it should be cooked a little.
Terms and conditions of storage
Fig jam prepared according to a recipe with heat treatment is stored in the same conditions as any preparation for the winter. The ideal conditions for preserving all the useful qualities is a cool dark place. But the shelf life directly depends on the amount of sugar and the presence of citric acid. If the ratio of sugar and berries is equal, then the shelf life of such jam can be about a year. The presence of lemon or its juice prevents the syrup from sugaring.
Jam, which is prepared according to a recipe without cooking, is not suitable for long-term storage. It must be consumed within 1-2 months.
Conclusion
The recipe for making fig jam with lemon at first glance seems complicated, but in fact everything is quite simple. The process is practically no different from any other jam. It can be prepared for the winter without much effort, the main thing is to follow all the rules of preparation. And then such a preparation will be a favorite and healthy delicacy for the whole winter.