I had some extra Black Madeiras and decided to make some fig jam out of them...

https://youtu.be/EWUVf37Uewc

Nick,

GREAT video.  I'm very envious of you.  ;)
Did you get a head start on BM in a greenhouse this spring?  You lucky man.

Thanks Frank. Yes it was in the greenhouse a month or two before being put outside. I believe 75% of the figs on it still may not ripen in time, unless I move it back into the greenhouse.

Biscuits and jam- good stuff!!!

Great video, I will definitely make some fig jam if I ever get too many figs to eat. 

Hi Johnnyq627,
Congrats !
Eyeballing the quantities is not scientific !
I'm surprised that you started with water. I made it once, and never did it again - it takes too long for the mix to thicken.
I weigh my figs and I use 1/3 of that weight of sugar - mix both with a spoon. Then I start heating the pan. I don't need water as the figs will release some water when the sugar gets in the pan.
I mix the sugar and fig chunks with a spoon. I cut small figs in 4 in the bigger in 8.

I don't have Black madeiras to try. I put all ripe figs in the jam. Dark figs are attractive in the jam because even when cooked, the skin bits remain dark.

PS: I was making fig jam this morning while watching your videos, and kept thinking to myself : You'll burn your jam while watching his video !!! The Pause button on the videos is handy ... LOL .

Hi JD, the water does take longer, but it also prevents burning!

Fab video! I can almost taste the jam now.  I'm saving the directions for when I finally get ripe figs of my own. :)

Well folks, I , never in my wildest dreams thought that I would see the words "extra "and "Black Madeira" on the same sentence but it it did happen and there's always a first time so I guess I'll get over it. Nevertheless , the Video is awesome and the fig jam looks delicious .
Nik congrats and thanks for sharing . Let me see if I can get some" Extra Celeste " figs together to make me a jam and make believe !!! ;)

I bet Celeste would make a good jam!

I went to visit Nick yesterday for a malta black 35 air layer he had made for me. Then he gave my wife and me a tour of his backyard, which quickly turned into a fig tasting tour. He started us with the black madiera figs and it really has the best flavor of any fig I have ever had. It was sweet juicy with complex berry taste. We tasted more than a dozen different figs but the black madeira was the top winner.

 THEN Nick said "I have one last treat" and started to heat up biscuits and put his awesome Black Madeira jam on the biscuits. My wife said "the jam is the best fig jam in the world, it was priceless" I think he can sell jars of it to make thousands. 

Nick and his wife are very generous and we had an awesome figgy evening. THANK YOU.

[QUOTE=johnnyq627]I had some extra Black Madeiras and decided to make some fig jam out of them...[/QUOTE]

My long term goal. : ) This video is inspiring. Congrats.

Thanks for the excellent video.

My wife also does a wonderful fig jam with my Preto de Torres Novas. I hope, in the future, i can compare it to jam from Black Madeira or Preto.

I am hoping for another large crop this year.  I NEED to make more of this jam.  My wife gave my last jar to my Father in law, thinking it was just another fig jam jar.  He's spoiled now!

[QUOTE=johnnyq627]I am hoping for another large crop this year.  I NEED to make more of this jam.  My wife gave my last jar to my Father in law, thinking it was just another fig jam jar.  He's spoiled now![/QUOTE]

Quickly air layer a couple more trees because, chances are, he's going to want more jars in the near future.

Big, big mistake. I have done it also with some of my excellent (but not very productive until now) flat peaches. Now, my family is addicted and i can't deliver...

Once he as tasted the good stuff he won't go back. I'm with Dan, the only solution is more and more trees to fulfill the future demand :-)

When I give jam and other canned products I always ask them to return the empty jars, since buying jars is the most expensive part of the deal.  Every once and a while, I get a jam back.  It's the super delicious jams that I often don't get to keep for myself.  God bless.

Marcus

Marcus that's usually the one thing I'll ask for... new jars or lids to replace the ones I gave.  Unfortunately very few people do, but the ones that do get first dibs on the next batch!

I must admit that I once hit pay dirt giving away jam.  I distributed some jam to a Sunday School class I teach which is filled with senior ladies (75 + hears old).  Many of them used to make jam and do other canning when they were younger.  When I gave out some homemade plum jam, several of them came the next Sunday with boxes of old jars saying that they have physically gotten to where can't can anymore and are happy to get the jars out of their coverts.  I made out like a bandit with jars that Sunday.  God bless.

Marcus

[QUOTE=johnnyq627]...new jars or lids to replace the ones I gave.  Unfortunately very few people do, but the ones that do get first dibs on the next batch![/QUOTE]

If that was all one has to do to get a taste of that delicious looking jam, tell me where to order them from and I'll order you a whole case just for first dibs on the next batch. : - )

That looks so delicious!!  I bet it would be good on ice cream, or pound cake.   
I think I better go walk on the treadmill. :)

Oh rats    now I have to wipe the monitor off again     sigh    I can make jam   but first I have the have a Black Maderia that lives   and then produces figs.     Too bad I don't live close to you   have several cases of jars   made strawberry jam  like crazy one year    haven't jammed since    LOL

I have a nearly full bag of Celeste figs in the freezer which I add to every day.  When it gets full, I will make my first batch of fig preserves for the season.  I might make fig jam late, but I make so much jam from other fruits I get, that I tend to focus on whole preserves with figs.  They are sooooo yummy on wheat crackers and sharp cheese.  I would like to know though if the berry flavor survives the jamming process with Madera figs.  So far I have not noticed one variety of fig tasting that different from other varieties once preserved.  But this is the first year where my older fig trees are big enough and produce enough figs where I can preserve the different types completely separate from one another.  I would admit that that last year I was really hoping that the strawberry flavor of Green Ischia figs would survive the preserving process.  But I last year I couldn't tell that it did.  God bless.

Marcus

[QUOTE=adoresfigs45]Oh rats   ...but first I have the have a Black Maderia that lives   and then produces figs...[/QUOTE] There lies the dream and the obstacle. Until then we have all theses mouth watering examples to look forward to. Marcus - That would be the total package if the taste survives preservation. It would make Black Madeira all the more desirable.

[QUOTE=adoresfigs45]Oh rats    now I have to wipe the monitor off again     sigh    I can make jam   but first I have the have a Black Maderia that lives   and then produces figs.     Too bad I don't live close to you   have several cases of jars   made strawberry jam  like crazy one year    haven't jammed since    LOL[/QUOTE]

I meant to make strawberry jam this spring, just never got around to it :(

[QUOTE=coolmantoole]I have a nearly full bag of Celeste figs in the freezer which I add to every day.  When it gets full, I will make my first batch of fig preserves for the season.  I might make fig jam late, but I make so much jam from other fruits I get, that I tend to focus on whole preserves with figs.  They are sooooo yummy on wheat crackers and sharp cheese.  I would like to know though if the berry flavor survives the jamming process with Madera figs.  So far I have not noticed one variety of fig tasting that different from other varieties once preserved.  But this is the first year where my older fig trees are big enough and produce enough figs where I can preserve the different types completely separate from one another.  I would admit that that last year I was really hoping that the strawberry flavor of Green Ischia figs would survive the preserving process.  But I last year I couldn't tell that it did.  God bless.

Marcus[/QUOTE]

The flavor profile definitely changes versus fresh, but you can certainly tell the difference. It is more acidic for lack of a better word and has that rich berry flavor.

 
 
Got enough to make Celeste fig preserves today.  I more or less use the recepe out of Ball's Complete Book of Home Preserving.  The only significant modification I make is that I cook the figs in 1/2 the amount of water the recepe calls for.  The recepe always made way too much syrup for the amount of fruit to be canned.  All that fig flavor would end up going down the drain.  Even with using half the water, still well over a cup of syrup was left over.  With fig preserves, they are always way better after they sit a few weeks to allow the sugar to really soak in.  God bless.

Marcus

The issue with freezer jam for me would be extremely limited space in my freezer, especially when it comes to items to be stored for a long time.. 

johnnyq627,
Those biscuits looked delicious, the only things missing are butter and coffee. Thanks for the simple recipe.