Heavenly Fig Jam Food

HEAVENLY JAM

Steps:

• Wash the oranges and lemons and slice thinly. Put them in a pot with just enough water to cover the fruit. Let it stand in the water overnight. Don't drain the water but cook them in it until they're soft. Wash and peal the remaining fruit. Add to the citrus mixture starting with the firmest fruit first. Cook a bit longer until all the fruit is tender. Measure the fruit and add equal amounts of sugar to the fruit. Boil it slowly until it's thick like a syrup. The jam with thicken more as it cools. Stir in quartered maraschino cherries for colour. Pour into hot sterilized jam jars and seal with the lid. The lids should pop on their own if the jars were hot prior to pouring the jam into them.

HEAVENLY FIG JAM

Steps:

• Prepare canner, jars and lids per safe canning practices.
• In a large, deep stainless steel saucepan, combine figs and water. Reduce heat, cover, and boil gently until softened, about 20 minutes. Let cool slightly. Transfer to a food processor fitted with a metal blade and purée. Measure 3 cups.
• Return puréed figs to saucepan and add orange juice and lemon juice. Whisk in pectin until dissolved. Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring frequently. Add sugar all at once and return to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly. Boil hard, stirring constantly, for 1 minute. Immediately stir in orange-flavored liqueur, if using. Remove from heat and skim off foam.
• Ladle hot jam into hot jars, leaving 1/4-inch headspace. Remove air bubbles and adjust headspace, if necessary, by adding hot jam. Clean rim. Center lid on jar. Screw band (ring) down until resistance is met, then increase to fingertip-tight.
• Place jars in a water bath (boiling-water) canner, ensuring they are completely covered with water. Bring to a boil and process for 10 minutes. Remove canner lid. Wait 5 minutes, then remove jars and cool. Check lids for seal after 24 hours. Lid should not flex up and down when center is pressed.