INGREDIENTS
1 kg Whole Green Figs
1/2 kg Sugar
2 cups of Water
Juice of one Lemon
2 tsp. ground Anise Seed
1/2 tsp. pebbles of Arabic gum, mastic gum مستكه grounded with 1 tsp. of sugar
1/2 cup Roasted Sesame Seeds, optional
METHOD
Rinse the figs and drain them. Dry them with a cloth before cooking and make sure you keep the tail.
With a sharp knife, make two splashes on the skin of each fig to avoid the skin from plumping while cooking.
In a cooking pot, prepare the syrup by heating the sugar and water over medium fire. Remove the froth when formed on the surface. When the syrup starts to boil and becomes crystal clear, add the figs one by one.
Keep stirring gently with a wooden spoon for at least 1/2 an hour and until the mixture begins to thicken and the figs turn to a honey golden color, add the lemon juice, Arabic gum and stir for 10 more minutes.
When stirring make sure you do it carefully to avoid getting the figs mashed, as they are too soft and tender at this stage.
When the jam is thick enough, stir in the roasted sesame seeds and turn off the heat. Pour the jam into sterilized glass jars. Make sure the figs are fully covered with syrup.
Close the jars tight and turn them upside down to avoid the formation of air pockets. Leave to cool overnight.
