Homemade Marsala Mustard Fig Jam is the best pairing for cheese you can think of. Bring out the baguette and the wine and let's call it a party!
Cheese is eternally calling my name, beckoning me with long, beautiful fingers, ruining diets and bouts of veganism. Damn you, you delicious dairy siren. As you can tell, it’s a love/hate relationship! Mostly love though.
What makes cheese even better? Homemade Marsala Mustard Fig Jam. Sweet, tangy and very moreish, you’re going to want to save this!
I got tired of shelling out for tiny jars of fig mustard that were sometimes bland, or way too sweet and always overpriced. So I created my own and it is stunning! Glitzes up anything from a sophisticated cheese board to a grilled cheese and anything else cheesy in-between.
You can just make the jam and keep it in the fridge, but I’ve also included instructions for preserving it, which makes it perfect for gifting.
I hope everyone has a great start to the upcoming week!
xoxo Donata
Ingredients
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
15 oz (430 g) ripe purple figs
1/2 cup (100 g) brown sugar
3 tbsp water
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp dry Marsala wine (substitute dry sherry if you can’t find Marsala)
2 tsp freshly ground pepper
3 tbsp mustard seeds, separated
Preparation
Preheat oven to 320 F (160 C). Wash small jam jars and lids in very hot, soapy water. Let the lids air dry on a rack and place the jars in the oven to sterilize them while the fig jam is cooking.
Wash and dry the figs. Place into a saucepan and purée with an immersion blender until smooth.
Add the remaining ingredients except the mustard seeds. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Turn the heat down a bit if it starts boiling.
In a spice grinder or with a pestle and mortar, grind one tablespoon of mustard seeds finely. Add the ground and whole mustard to the jam.
Simmer for a further 15 minutes, stirring as needed.
When the jam is finished, ready a funnel if you have it (a small ladle will do as well) and the jam jar lids.
Remove the jam jars from the oven with oven gloves or tongs.
Carefully fill the jam into the jars. Immediately screw on the lids tightly and turn the jars on their head to create a vacuum.
This will keep for 6 months in the pantry unopened and for about 6 months opened in the fridge.
