Fig, Honey & Paprika Preserve – Saying NO One Step At A Time

Fig, honey & paprika preserve is a delicious homemade preserve which tastes fantastic with some toast, on biscuits or with some paranthas too!

So I have been trying, trying to say NO to processed and preservative filled food, we buy over the counter, one at a time, as much as I can. Sometime ago I had read this book called “Make the bread, buy the butter” which is written by Jennifer Reese of the blog The Tipsy Baker, (which is a great blog BTW). And this fig, honey & paprika preserve is inspired from there!

In this book she makes loads of items that you generally buy off the shelf at a store and then compares the homemade version with the store bought version based on taste, cost, and hassle. She then tells you whether you should make or buy that particular item. Though the book is based in the West and mostly talks about the food they cook and not our daily food, I was glued to the book till I finished. I loved the way she looked at the whole thing and all this weaved with some beautiful stories around her life and some fabulous recipes.

It was a book I fell in love with pretty fast and its a touch away in my iPad now. Do pick up the book if you can. I strongly recommend it and boy, its funny too. Sample this in the chapter titled “Junk Food and Candy”, she quotes Michale Pollan’s advice from Food Rules about how you can eat all the junk you want as long as you are willing to make it yourself since, “chances are good it won’t be every day” and then says “Oh, Michael Pollan, you underestimate me.”

Since I have read this book, I have been making quite a bit of dishes at home (and buying some like she says but then she talks about buying chickens and more too). I have been making breads, sauces like pizza/pasta sauces, hummus and other dips like mayo, jams and preserves at home and then I read this article (30 foods you’ll never need to buy) and was reminded of the book again and reiterated my intention to saying NO to preservatives. So I have taken it upon myself that in the next year or so, I will bring my house to a minimum preservative place. Make as much as I can at home and then post the journey on the blog.

So we start with a fig, honey & paprika preserve that has stolen everyone’s heart at home. The recipe that has been loved as much as the “Strawberry Balsamic Pepper Preserve“. I have made three batches already, eaten them and given them to friends who have already been asking for more. Presenting the super yummy “Fig honey & Paprika Preserve”.

Saying NO one step at a time

Fig, honey & paprika preserve is a delicious homemade preserve which tastes fantastic with some toast, on biscuits or with some paranthas too! 

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Course condiments

Cuisine American

Ingredients

  

• 500 grams Figs ripe
• 1/4 cup Lemon juice
• 1 tsp Lemon zest
• 2 tsps paprika (4-5 jalapenos will work too)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Instructions

 

• Wash and chop the figs and let them dry.
• Add honey and figs in a pan and cook on high heat for about 5 mins till the figs start caramelise a bit.
• Add the sugar and rest of the ingredients and let it cook and simmer for a while.
• To check whether its done, dip a chilled spoon into the boiling jam mixture and hold it above the pan, if the jam falls down together like a sheet rather than falling in drops, its done.

Notes

check this link to see what are they other options to check whether jamming or jelly is done!

Cool, store in a clean container and use within a month at room temperature.

If you make this, share a picture with me on twitter, instagram or Facebook? I would love to hear what you have to say about it !

Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!