Fig & peach jam

Late summer is usually when the market stalls abound with the best figs. Good, fresh ones are incredibly hard to get here anyway, but I had a lucky strike last week, when Waitrose had some beautiful, plump and juicy ones on offer. With a punnet of peaches sitting in my overflowing fridge, I knew just what to make: jam! I had never tried fig jam before, hadn't sampled it, hadn't made it, but it seemed like a good idea. I blame Nicky and her SHF for the fact that my kitchen cupboards are now full with jars, but I have really enjoyed experimenting with jam this summer. You can't really go wrong when you make jam, if you are in the possession of some tastebuds, that is, but most combinations of fruit work wonderfully. I had been suprised by my raspberry and apple jam which has become the family favourite this year, but I am equally impressed with this fig & peach jam - it's got the right balance of fruit, sugar and acid (I used quite a bit of lime juice to lift the flavour, given that cheap supermarket peaches can taste a bit bland in jams, not being able to stand up to the sugar). As you can see, I like my jam quite chunky, especially with soft fruit like this, and although I do puree about half of the fruit, I love having some pieces of fruit with every spoonful - just to remind me what it's made of! I also love the fact that the figs add a certain subtle crunch with their many seeds - I've only enjoyed it on croissants, rye bread and some brioche so far, but I wouldn't hesitate to add a bit of fleur de sel and have it with foie gras. If only I could get my hands on good foie gras here, can anyone help?

Fig & peach jam
(makes 3-4 medium jars)

500 g figs (the black variety, for extra drama)
500 g peaches
200 g jam sugar*
200 g preserving sugar**
1 level tbsp apple pectin (powder)
juice of 6 limes

Wash the fruit and cut everything into small pieces, roughly 1-2 cm big. Put into a heavy-based pot and add the sugars, top with some pectin and bring to a boil. Add the lime juice and cook for 20 minutes, then purée half of the jam, returning it to the pot afterwards.
Cook for a further 10 - 20 minutes depending on how thick you like your jam.
Fill into sterilised jars, close the lid tightly and leave to cool, lid down.

* Jam sugar is regular sugar with added pectin.
** Preserving sugar has nothing added, but the granules are really coarse, so they dissolve more slowly, which apparently helps retain the fruit's natural colour and gives the jam a nice, glossy finish.

Comments

[Simonetta]

Good foie gras in London? I will ask my friend Jeanpierre (a French sommelier) tomorrow, but I cannot guarantee a reply (stay tuned).
The best I had was a home made one. If you go to Ay, knock on the door of Monsieur Claude Giraud, the only producer of Ay Grand Cru in Champagne (yes, I know, a lot of Champagne producers boast the name Ay on the label, none of them is an Ay Grand Cru, believe me). His passion for wine is contagious, his hospitality is second to none and his wife makes the best foie gras I have ever had in my life (and the portions were pantagruelic)...
Said that, the peach and fig jam is something I really want to try. Thanks Johanna for sharing your recipe.

[Yin]

Hmm can't vouch for the foie gras itself as I have not tried it, but all the meat I've bought from Wyndham House - a butcher on Fulham Road a block or two west of the cinema on it - has been pretty good.

[Brilynn]

I've just started making jams, it's so much easier than I thought. Your photo is really nice, (jam is sometimes hard to photograph without it just looking like a blob) and I'm sure the jam tastes even better.

[vasilisa]

Are "jam sugar" and "preserving sugar" same as regular sugar?

(confused because never made a jam before...)

[johanna]

Vasilisa, I have added the descriptions for jam sugar and preserving sugar to the recipe, to make it clear.
Brilynn, I experienced the same this summer – always thought it was such a hassle and this time round, whenever I had leftover fruit or saw some really good quality stuff at the supermarket, I just grabbed it and made jam – and my cupboard is overflowing!
Yin, will try and give this butcher a try when I am next around there.
Simonetta, your tip comes in very handy, as were planning a road trip to Austria next summer and were planning to stay over in the Champagne and buy some bubbly - thanks! (And I will wait for your sommelier to name me a good source!)

[Veron]

I hope there are some figs and peach left in the market , I would love to try this recipe!

[Scott at Real Epicurean]

I absolutely love home made jams. For some reason this year, food bloggers are really suprising me with their new ideas, all of which look delicious.

[Pille]

I was going through some of my old pictures, and came across the one with your fig jam embraced by crepes made by K. Suddenly got a huge craving, so I decided to come and look for the recipe :)
Thank you, darling!!