Fig!

The figs are late this year, but now they have arrived with a vengence. I am sure I have picked at least 100 pounds from the tree in my backyard.

As a fervent lover of all things Italian, I was thrilled when, it must be ten years ago at least when I was in Venice with my daughter, I looked out my window at the small hotel where we stayed and saw a tree identical to the one in our backyard on central Vancouver Island.

So what do you do with 100 lbs of figs? My dryer has been going 24/7 for weeks; one year my husband made fig wine which, strangely, is not sweet at all, (all the sugar has been turned into alcohol!); and my fig and ginger jam is a favourite among a certain group of friends - mostly Italians and Brits.

I love them fresh off the tree too - but that is an aquired taste.

So here for anyone with a surplus of figs, is my recipe for

FIG AND GINGER JAM

- put clean canning jars into an ovenproof dish, fill dish and jars with boiling water and put in a 220 degree oven while you make the jam.

INGREDIENTS


• 6 cups of ripe figs, diced


• 6 cups of sugar


• 1 1/2 tbsp ground ginger


• 1 cooking apple, peeled and diced


• 4 tbsp grystalized ginger, chopped


• 5 tbsp cider vinegar


• juice of 3 lemons


• 1 cup water

- put all of the ingredients in a large pot and heat at a medium boil for 20 minutes. Meanwhile put jar rings into a pot of water and boil gently. Add pop-tops 5 minutes before jam is ready to put in jars.

- spoon jam into the sterilized jars from the oven, wipe the rim, put on sterilized tops and finger tighten rings. Set on rack to cool. Don't touch them until they pop, and don't retighten lids for fear of disturbing the seal.

- store in a cool dark place for a month to allow the flavours to mingle.

Enjoy on toast, with chicken or meat, your favourite cheese and crackers, or any way you want!