Peach and fig leaf jam

MAKES ABOUT 1.7 LITRES JAM

Ensure you use really ripe peaches for this – or indeed any peach jam recipe. If the fruit is too hard it won’t cook down in the sugar and you’ll end up with hard pieces of fruit, not a luscious glossy jam. Peaches in late spring do tend to be firmer as they won’t have seen much sun. If you buy firmer peaches, be sure to leave them out to ripen on a sunny window or place them in a paper bag, which speeds up the ripening process.

1.5 kg ripe peaches, halved and stones removed 5 young fig leaves (see note) 900 gm caster sugar Juice of 1 lemon

1 Cut each peach half into quarters and place in a preserving pan with the fig leaves. Stir occasionally over medium heat until peaches soften (cooking time will vary depending on the ripeness of the peach – a very ripe peach should soften in around 5 minutes; if they are more firm, they can take up to 15 minutes). If the peaches are not super-soft, add a splash of water to help them break down. It might help to place a lid on the pan to speed up the cooking process. It’s really important that the peaches are cooked through before you add the sugar, so test them by piercing with a knife to check for softness.

2 Once the peaches are soft, add the sugar and lemon juice and stir occasionally until the jam reaches setting point, 105°C on a sugar thermometer (about 15-20 minutes). Remove from the heat and leave to rest for 5 minutes before pouring into warm sterilised jars. Seal immediately. Store in a cool dark place for up to 12 months.

Note Fig leaves add a wonderful perfume to peach jam. Choose tender young fig leaves and discard them after cooking. If you don’t have access to a fig tree, you can use lemon verbena or bay leaves.