Fig!

Summer is starting its wind down here at our little house.  The pool hours are cutting back, public school started back today and most of the Summer crops in the garden have already been pulled to make way for Fall plantings.  Its a bittersweet feeling to see the sky darkening sooner and to see the first leaves already beginning to fall (even though its still in the 90's here today).  Its that mixed bag of being eager for my favorite season to arrive and being a little sad that Summer is almost gone.  Truly, Fall doesn't really get going around here until October...but I am already dreaming of pulling the scarves back out and mixing up batches and batches of pumpkin bread.

Today in honor of the pending close to Summer and the welcoming of Fall we made fig jam.  We have a fig tree or two in our backyard but they are still green.  I am afraid they are not going to ripen properly due to how dry it has been and Mr. has been eyeing them like crazy.  So, when we went to the market this morning and saw they had buy one get one containers of figs that was that.

 You can tell we are jonesing for Fall here, right?

While the baby napped I whipped up two jars of fig jam, one with cinnamon and one without.  Hopefully we will still get our own figs from out back, but in case we don't...this should do the trick.  

Fig Jam Recipe:

24 ripe figs

One Lemon

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 tsp cinnamon (optional)

2 cups water

Wash and allow figs to air dry 

Chop figs and place in large sauce pan

Add 2 cups water and bring to a low boil

Add sugar and turn up heat

After about 10 minutes mash if you like

Continue to stir frequently to avoid sticking

Add lemon juice 

Continue to simmer over medium heat until it thickens to consistency you like 

Add cinnamon if desired

Allow to cool then add to clean jars

Will keep in refrigerator for 10 or so days