Fig, Lemon and Ginger Jam

My fig tree is fruiting, but only produces a few ripe figs per day — not enough to make jam with. Years ago, I had access to a friend’s very prolific fig tree. She didn’t like figs so I picked heaps, and as well as eating them I made this jam. I made up the recipe —it was an experimental combo of marmalade and fig jam — and it was so successful I wrote it down. Fig jam on its own is quite sweet, but the lemon in this recipe cut that, and was delicious. I made it every year until she sold the house.
Sorry, I don’t have a photo of the jam, only my own figs. All the jam was eaten long ago. But another friend remembered that jam and asked me for the recipe. Since it was handwritten in a notebook, I typed it out to send it to her, and decided to post it here as well.

These are my own figs

Fig, Lemon and Ginger Jam
Ingredients
Six and a half pounds of fresh figs
Flesh of one or two oranges
4 lemons — zest and juice
Six and a half pounds of sugar
A good gurgle of sherry
2 ginger roots, grated
4 cups water

(Sorry for the lack of precise measurements. I made up this recipe quite a few years ago — before I had scales in grams. )

METHOD
1) Chop up figs and oranges, add lemon zest and grated ginger
2) Add water and half the sugar.
3) Bring to the boil, then turn off heat and leave overnight
4) Next day, add rest of the ingredients and boil until setting point is reached — about an hour, depending on fruit, remembering to stir it from time to time to stop it sticking or burning..

These days I’d probably use the flesh of the lemons and the zest of the oranges as well, mainly because I don’t like wasting food and I don’t think it would make all that much difference to the taste. Might have to add a bit more sugar though — it’s supposed to be equal amounts of sugar and fruit.