The other day while sorting out the pantry, I found some dried figs which I had bought long time back from the store. They were gorgeous and smelled delectable. Dried figs are easy to store and keep well for very long time at room temperatures.
I love to munch on a few dried uncooked figs at breakfasts usually. They are sweet, cooling, nourishing, heavy fruit low in saturated fat and help fight Cancer as they contain many antioxidants. Dried figs are a good laxative, helpful for those with constipation and also helps lower blood cholesterol. It is a good source of minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, potassium, fibre, copper and vitamin B6 and K. It has some anti-bacterial properties too. However figs should not be had in larger amounts at a time as they increase blood sugar levels quickly and can also cause diarrhoea.
This time I wanted to prepare a jam with these and went on with it. This is a preservelike spread and not a true preserve and must be refrigerated to avoid spoilage, because it contains a higher proportion of fruit to sugar and retain more fruit flavor. The jam was delicious and got prepared in less than an hour. I love the slight crunchy texture due to the seeds in the jam.
Dried Fig Jam
Ingredients:
- Dried Figs/Anjeer – 250 gms, stems removed and finely chpped
- Sugar – 1/2 cup
- Citric Acid – 1/4 tp
- Lemon juice – 1 tsp
- Water – 500 ml
Method:
- Add the chopped figs and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil, simmer and let it cook covered for 25 minutes until the figs are soft. Remove from heat and keep aside until cool.
- In a blender container, pour the contents of the saucepan and blend it till pureed.
- Pour this back into the saucepan and add the sugar, lemon juice, citric acid and let it cook for about 15 more minutes on medium heat or until it reaches a jammy consistency.
- Pour this into a sterlised dried glass jar with a tight lid and let it cool completely. Refrigerate to store.
Finish the jam within a month in order to avoid spoilage.
Luv,
Mona