Garden Sharing--Figs

One of the joys in growing food is sharing the bounty with others. Recently, I’ve received figs from three garden friends. This is the season for black mission figs in my coastal neighborhood in Point Loma. The trees thrive here and when the figs ripen a gardener generally has more than can be used by one household.

Wikipedia tells me the black mission fig “was first introduced to the United States in 1768 when Franciscan missionaries planted it in San Diego.[1][2] It was also planted in the subsequent missions that the Franciscans established up the California coast. Gustav Eisen writes, "The early padres and missionaries in the Pacific coast States cultivated no other variety of fig".[3][4] It later became the main commercial variety planted throughout California.”

If the fig gardener is inattentive, the fruit beetles and parrots of Point Loma are happy to swoop in and help with the crop. The large, clumsy, green metallic beetles can ruin a piece of fruit in short order. A flock of several dozen parrots can decimate a crop.

With the plate of figs in the thumbnail photo, which included a few green figs, I made fig jam. My grandmother had a green fig tree in Laguna Beach and both she and my mom made fig jam every year. Usually gifts of figs are served as dessert around our house but the neighborhood bounty this year gave me enough to consider trying some fig jam.

Homemade Fresh Fig Jam at The Spruce Eats was my selection after an internet search. It’s made without commercial pectin and has the pleasant texture of fruit preserves with a dash of citrus from the lemon juice and lemon zest that help it congeal.

The figs have a rosy color that’s revealed when cut open.My mom’s green fig jam had a rather mirky yellow-green color though it was delicious. I prefer the color and flavor of the mission fig jam.

With the addition of sugar the jam is ready for a slow simmer for a couple hours until it tests to the right consistency. Recipes often say until it reaches a certain temperature on a candy thermometer. I use my mom’s method of putting a small plate in the freezer while the jam cooks. When it begins to thicken, I put a teaspoon of jam on the cold plate and return it to the freezer for a minute. To check, I swipe my finger across the jam and the path of my finger should remain if it is ready to jar and process.

Here’s my finished fig jam. I processed in four ounce jam jars with a yield of ten jars. The fig jam will be especially nice on a charcuterie board with cheese and small bread slices or crackers.

I relish trying something new and I do have time in these Covid-19 days.