Easy Fig Jam
Savor the flavor of summer with this super Easy Fig Jam made with just a few ingredients! A great addition to a cheese platter, ,top your favorite burger and fry up in a crispy grilled cheese sandwich. This jam is so good you’ll want to try it on just about everything.
I’m obsessed with figs. I don’t know why….probably because they’re like a peach in that you only see a good one for a few weeks of the year before they become a mushy, mealy mess. They make me a little sad when they appear because it’s a sure sign that summer is almost over and the school buses will be making their rounds very soon.
But they also make me happy because….duh, have you ever bitten into a fresh fig? They’re fantastically sweet with an interesting texture from the seeds that make some people absolutely loathe them. I love the contrast, the crunchiness in my teeth. And they make blue cheese taste like dessert. Really. Especially when made into an Easy Fig Jam.
I had a co-worker….a cubicle neighbor, if you will…who’s parents owned a fig tree. How lucky is that? They lived down in the Outer Banks of North Carolina which is also super lucky. I mean really…who wouldn’t want to live in the Outer Banks with a fig tree in their back yard.
Anyway…she used to tell me how she hated figs and they just had too many, so many they would just fall to the ground and go to waste. Wasted figs! Gah!!! I had to make her stop talking because her story of the sad figs just wasting away made my heart hurt.
And so she did….then she left for her weeklong vacation to visit her parents and came back with a gigantic bag of fresh figs. Just for me. Because she was the best cubicle neighbor ever and I still think of her quite often. 🙂
Funny thing about figs….they spoil VERY quickly so you have to eat them all within a couple days or find something interesting to make with them like a skillet roasted chicken….or Easy Fig Jam.
Which is exactly what I did with that giant bag of figs fresh from the Carolina coast. It’s incredibly easy to make with just a few simple ingredients and a bit of water. And you can stash it in the fridge for a few months….if it lasts that long.
Easy Fig Jam takes about 30 minutes to make and is very similar in technique to my Easy Strawberry Jam. It makes an excellent companion to a variety of cheeses so if you have some canning skills…you may want to save some for your holiday soirees. If not, it’s amazing on these biscuits or slathered on some lightly toasted bread. Easy…peasy. And if you’re looking for something another jam recipe you have to try THIS Orange Marmalade!
Super simple to make, Easy Fig Jam is summer's sweetest gift!
- 2 pounds fresh figs cut in quarters and stems removed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- juice of one lemon
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup water
- In a medium saucepan, toss the figs, sugar, lemon and vanilla to coat.
- Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until the sugar is dissolved and the figs are juicy.
- Turn the heat to low, add the water and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until the fruity is soft and the juices are beginning to thicken.
- Turn off the heat and spoon the jam into two pint size jars.
- Close the jars and allow to cool to room temperature.
- Store the jam in the refrigerator for up to 2 months.
Hi! This jam looks so yummy! I love that it can be used in so many different ways. And the fact that it lasts 2 months in the fridge is awesome. Although, since I love figs it probably won’t be around that long:)
Yeah, it doesn’t last too long here either.
I’m trying to enjoy as many figs as possible while they are in season and this jam looks incredible! I want to spread it over everything.
It’s amazing on everything. 🙂
I’m a bit obsessed with figs too – and love them in jams though I’ve never ever made my own – so thanks so very much for your recipe – your fig jam looks so thick and delicious – Forget the toast – I just need a spoon!
This fig jam looks like the perfect topping for my morning toast!
Hi! How would I can this to make it last longer? Thank you!
Hi Andy, I’m not a canning expert but you could check out FoodInJars.com…..she has some great tips on canning jams. I’ll study up and will try to learn the tricks so I can share them here. Thanks so much!
Do you just use the meat of the fig, or do you use the entire fig?
I use the entire fig and just chop it up into small pieces. It breaks down pretty easily when cooked.
I love that you mentioned the Outer Banks! I am from northeastern North Carolina, but am living in Virginia at the moment. Planted a fig tree in my new yard and this year, I have figs galore! I am so glad you posted the recipe. I will be making some fig jam tomorrow 🙂
I’d love to plant a fig tree but we live in a different zone so the winter would kill it here. This jam would be taking over my house if I had my own tree! LOL!
Kellie,
Thanks for the recipe, it’s straight forward, simple and tastes great on top of toasted baguette rounds with either Brie or Camembert and Prosciutto de Parma.
I read your “about” tag and if you live in Philly you can absolutely grow your own fig trees very easily and you don’t even have to wrap them in the winter.
I have a summer house at the Jersey Shore and have two fig trees grown as bushes-massive amounts of large purple figs each year.
It’s really crazy the plants look like dead sticks in the winter.
Oh wow! Thank you so much for the information I will start the hunt for a fig tree!
Yes I love the jam idea we make fig goat cheese prosciotto pizza love it btw figs grow great in our high tunnels in northern my zone 4 brrrr yes so your area will work fine we have many varieties of figs if interested contact me at dusmithschg@gmail.com. figs are awesome!
Thank you!