For years now, because of problems with getting seeds stuck in my gums (isn’t old age great?) I have been making jellies rather than jam even though it takes a lot more fruit. In some ways it’s easier too as you soften the fruit, can leave it filtering overnight then do the jelly part quite quickly the following day.
My most successful jellies are redcurrant (for use with lamb or duck mainly) and blackberry and apple (less intense flavour than just blackberry)
However, this week I thought I’d try making a jam/jelly with whitecurrants since we had a glut. I found a recipe for seedless jam so gave it a go. The results are surprisingly good as I thought it might be a bit tasteless. However, I went with the jelly method of calculating how much sugar to use as the jam version would have been far too sweet.
I don’t think your garden has much fruit in it anyway, if I remember rightly? We get a glut of blueberries as well and, since I’ve not managed a jam that tastes of anything, I tend to make a variant of Creme de Cassis with it. Much more your cup of tea I would have thought
We do eat figs (raw) but our tree took a while to fruit. If you are using French-style jam jars, I did manage to find a supplier here of replacement lids that were cheaper than the hugely expensive LeParfait ones. It turned out to be a lot cheaper to buy a batch of jars+lids when they were on offer at the agricultural merchants than buy the tiny packs of authentic lids they also sold.
I make some fruit jams and 3-fruit (oranges/lemons/grapefruit) marmalade with thick sliced rind like Frank Coopers Vintage Marmalade - and always use half the amount of sugar that’s in the recipe.
When I do buy jams, it is usually the Bonne Maman ‘confiture intense’ brand, either blackcurrant and cherry.
The only jelly I like is mint jelly.
And I’m reminded that when I was a young girl, my mum would only buy seedless raspberry jam because she said the pips got under her (false teeth) plate and my sister had diverticulitis and had to avoid seeds !
I make raspberry jam, but first bring the berries to a boil, then sieve the pips out and use the resulting pulp to make the jam…
as for figs - confit fig with balsamic vinegar and chilies turned out to be a crowd pleaser. It works equally well with cheese and pate as it does instead of plain fig jam…
Your raspberry method is roughly what I did with the whitecurrants. I’ve never tried fig jam as we don’t seem to get enough figs ripening at the same time!
I have one purple fig tree. And its a hit and miss harvest. Last year - nada. Year before 1-2 kilos every few days. Have jam/confit to last into next year (makes great presents) and this year looks like another glut.
Neighbours and friends will be happy recipients of surplus.
now this does sound exciting… I usually just make fig jam (enough for an entire commune ) but something with a bit of zing will be a change
Incidentally, I also freeze a few ripe (but not over-ripe) figs so that Owners can enjoy the fruits from their trees when they visit the following year. They are never here at the “eating freshly picked” time of year
Figs freeze well and a roasted fig, with a coating of duck fat is an excellent local complement to aligot and andouillette (not that my wife would agree with any of that)
I’ve had a look at recipes for herb jellies in the past - I haven’t made them because the fresh herbs are never available when the apples are and I think you need apples or gooseberries to make the base jelly
The jelly I use most is redcurrant to accompany duck or lamb but a herb one would be good to try…
the only andouillette I have ever enjoyed was many years ago… at a small out of the way resto… (somewhere near Bergerac I think) duck andouillette made by the chef to his own recipe… absolutely delicious.
(Although I admit I was loathe to cut into these “sausages” to begin with as I’d had such horrible experiences in the past)
I was amazed to discover just how many locals/visitors enjoy our commune’s Andouillete Soirée every year (I keep well away )
I’ve only once had a good experience with either andouille or andouillette - donkey’s years ago it was. I can’t remember which one of those names it was but it was served hot as a complete sausage and tasted very much like haggis. Everything starting “andouill” since then has been disgusting in my view.
Careful with the chillies. I make 2 versions. 1 chilli for the french friends and neighbours.
2 chillies for the UK, US and others who like spice…
That is per 2 kg of figs. Fresh or flaked chilli equivalent. And balsamic to taste…
Andouille can be bought raw, cured or smoked, also it’s made with a mixture of pork and tripe.
Down in the Aveyron we also have tripous, which are little tied bundles of veal tripe that are a favourite breakfast at local village fetes - usually with tete de veau. Can’t think why you don’t see many Brits at these breakfasts…
) but something with a bit of zing will be a change 
)