Preserving Summer: Fig and White Port Jam
He and She planted a fig tree ten years ago on a whim. The last few years, it has delivered pounds and pounds of deliciously sweet and juicy figs.
We stuff them with bleu cheese and wrap them with bacon. We top a goat cheese pizza with them. On their own, they make a colorful addition to charcuterie boards.
Our tree produces so many figs that we have plenty left over to make jam. We tried many recipes through the years and this is our favorite, adapted from a 2009 Food & Wine Magazine recipe. We love that it uses white port, a wine we discovered on a trip to Porto.
Fig and White Port Jam
Makes 3 half pint jars
2 pounds figs, stemmed and quartered
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup white port
2 sprigs rosemary (4” each)
2 strips of lemon peel
1. In a large pot, toss the fig pieces with the sugar and let stand, stirring occasionally, for at least 15 minutes, until the sugar is dissolved and the figs are juicy.
2. Add the lemon juice, white port, rosemary sprigs and lemon peels and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved. Simmer the fig jam over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until the fruit is soft and the liquid runs off the side of a spoon in thick, heavy drops, about 30 minutes.
3. Remove and discard the rosemary sprigs and lemon peels. If you don’t like the chunky consistency, use an immersion blender to smooth it out.
4. Spoon the jam into jars, leaving 1/4 inch of space at the top. Close the jars loosely and let cool to room temperature. Once completely cooled tighten lids. Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
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— He and She on Wine
