How to make chilli fig jam

Look beyond blackberry. With warm smoky flavours evoking long, lazy summers in Florence, Julia Platt Leonard’s fig chilli jam is a preserve for grown-ups

We’re jammin’: this recipe is inspired by long, lazy summer days in Italy (Photography by Julia Platt Leonard)

Some people remember their dream holiday to Florence every time they squeeze into those slightly-too-small Ferragamo heels they bought on impulse. Others think back fondly to their Parisian long weekend when they spy the tiny replica Eiffel Tower that sits on their desk.

I remember a holiday when I open my kitchen cabinet. I invariably return laden with a jar of something bought in a tiny grocery store or hill top monastery or street market.

It’s my attempt to recapture the magic of holidays. Yes, it’s the food but it’s also the feeling you have on holiday when time feels slower and the sun brighter. When I finish the last jar and the next holiday hasn’t arrived, I make my own.

Figs make me think of lazy Italian holidays and homes we stayed in where fig trees grew like weeds. All you had to do was walk outside to harvest a bowlful of ripe fruit.

Sliced while still warm from the sun, they tasted sweet and jammy and wonderful. I’d eat them by the handful or better yet, with a slice of pecorino cheese and some good bread. This chilli fig jam is my memory of those holidays.

The chilli is my contribution, but adds a nice warmth to to the jam. I’ve used a mulato which is a dried poblano pepper. It’s similar to an ancho chilli but has a slightly smokier flavour and isn’t particularly hot. You can find a wonderful selection of chillies online at the Cool Chile Company.

The textures and flavours are a comforting treat (Julia Platt Leonard)

Chilli fig jam

Makes 2 small jars

250g dried figs, stem removed
200g caster sugar
200ml water
1½-2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 mulato or other dried chilli
Pinch of salt

Chop the figs into quarters. Place the figs, sugar, water, balsamic vinegar, chilli and salt in a saucepan. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and cook until the chilli and fig are soft but not mushy.

The liquid will have thickened. Remove from the heat.

If the chilli has a stem, remove it but leave the seeds. Scoop out the figs and the chilli and puree, either in the small bowl of a food processor or with a stick blender.

You’re aiming for a rough paste. Add the balsamic vinegar and more salt if needed. If the paste is too thick, you can add in any of the remaining cooking liquid or a splash of water. It should be thick but spreadable.

Place the jam in clean jars and refrigerate.

@juliapleonard