I love fig jam and often buy a jar now and then from the supermarket. The fresh figs I normally see in the market are green or purple in color. Green does not mean that they are unripe; you can tell by smell and touch if they are ripe. I saw some green figs in the market the other day and decided to make my own fig jam. I had a fresh pomegranate and the decided to add fresh pomegranate juice to the jam which I hoped would add a delicious touch. It sure did!

Ground cardamom was the only spice used in this recipe because I did not want to overpower this jam with too many spices. The juice of one orange and the zest of one small lemon added a perfect touch! It turned out to be a luscious fig jam, and I doubt I would buy another jar again!

Tip: To get seeds out of the pomegranate easily, slice in half and use the back of a spoon to tap on the back of the sliced pomegranate over a bowl.

Fig and Pomegranate Jam

Ingredients

1o- 12 figs

1/4 pure maple syrup

1 pomegranate

1 orange

1 lemon

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom seeds

Instructions

1. Wash the figs and cut in quarters, set aside.

2. Cut the pomegranate in half, diagonally. Use the back of a pot spoon and tap the back of each half over a bowl. The seeds will pop out. Remove any membrane from the seeds.

3. Put seeds in strainer and press on the seeds over a bowl with your fingertips to press out the juice, set aside.

4. Add the maple syrup to a cast iron or skillet, bring to a simmer.

5. Add the figs and cook for about 10 minutes until soften.

6. Add cardamom and pomegranate juice and cook for another 10 minutes or until you get a jam consistency.

7. Cool before putting in a glass jar.