Vanilla Fig and Pear Freezer Jam
Why I Love This Recipe
ts sweet, figgy and mildly pear-ish with a nice little hint of vanilla. It made about 7 - 12 oz jars and I'm really looking forward to making some sort of danish or pastry with it.
Ingredients You'll Need
6 cups figs, quartered
2 cups bosc pears
4 cups granulated sugar
juice from 1 lemon
1 box Sure Jell Fruit Pectin
1/2 tsp vanilla
Directions
First things first (and this is a new thing for me). Place a small plate in the freezer. later on you'll use this to test the consistency of your jam.
Stem the figs and cut them into quarters. Peel and core the pears and dice them.
In a large pot, combine the figs, pears and sugar. Let sit for about 1/2 an hour (not over any heat). Once everything starts to look liquidy, add the lemon juice, Sure Jell and vanilla.
Put the pot over a low heat and bring to a boil. Reduce to simmer and continue bubbling. At this point, if you'd like a less chunky jam, use a potato masher to crush the fruit up a bit.
Continue to simmer until the jam has become very thick. You can check the doneness of your jam by placing a spoonful in the center of your frozen plate. Let is sit for a minute then tip the plate. If the jam runs slowly or stays put, its done. If your jam races to the edge of your plate, then its not quite ready and you need to simmer it some more.
If you're using plastic freezer "jars"...then allow the jam to cool a bit before filling the jars. I used glass jars and filled them right away. I did not seal the jars until the mixture had cooled. Once cooled, place the jars in the freezer
Don't forget to put one jar in the fridge so you can enjoy it immediately