This chunky bourbon fig jam ticks all the boxes: the rich and warm notes of bourbon meld with sweet, honey-like figs, complemented by creamy and sweet vanilla. Spread it on toast, dollop it on yogurt, serve it on a cheese platter, or eat it by the spoonful.
Ingredients
¼cupbourbon, or whiskey
1cupsugar
2teaspoonsvanilla extract
Juice from ½ lemon
1 ½lbs.fresh green figs, chopped
Instructions
Wash your canning jars (the sizes don't matter, but you will need enough to hold 2 ½ cups of jam) and place them on a baking sheet. Put the jars in the oven and turn your oven on to 250 degrees Fahrenheit. Bring a small pot of water to a boil and place the lids in the pot. Remove the pot from the heat but keep the lids in the pot.
Bring the bourbon, sugar, vanilla, and lemon juice to a boil over high heat. Add the figs and reduce the heat to medium-low. Let the figs simmer for 20 minutes, stirring a few times. Mash the figs gently with a potato masher, making sure to leave many delicious chunks.
¼ cup bourbon, 1 cup sugar, 2 teaspoons vanilla extract, Juice from ½ lemon, 1 ½ lbs. fresh green figs
Remove the jars from the oven and carefully pour in the jam, making sure to leave a ½ inch of room at the top. Drain the water from the pot the lids are in and place the lids on the filled jars. Gently screw on the rings. Set your jam on the counter to cool and seal.
After 24 hours, check the seal by unscrewing the rings and (very!) gently pulling on the lid. If it is stuck, your jam has been canned and it is safe to store in your pantry. If you are at home when your jam is setting, you'll hear a little pop each time one of your jars seals. If a jar doesn't seal you can either try canning it again (wash and sterilize the jars and bring the jam to a boil) or pop it in your fridge and eat it within 2 weeks.