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Savor the flavor of summer with this super Easy Fig Jam recipe made with just a few ingredients! A great addition to a cheese platter, to 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, have you ever bitten into a fresh fig? They’re fantastically sweet with an interesting texture from the seeds that make some people shy away. 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.
If you’re lucky enough to have a fig tree in your yard or a friend that will gift you some figs from their own tree, you’re lucky enough. And you should make this jam.
How To Make Fig Jam
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.
- Prep your figs. Toss halved figs with sugar, lemon and vanilla.
- Cook. Add the figs to a saucepan and cook over medium heat.
- Add water. Stir in the water and simmer until the fruit is soft with a thickened, jammy consistency.
- Store it. Transfer to jars and store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
How to Make Jam Without Pectin
Some fruits are naturally high in pectin so they will come together easily on their own. Strawberries and other fruit that are lower in natural pectin so a little lemon juice, and the zest, will help them become the best jam ever without adding additional pectin.
What are Figs
If you’ve never tried Fig Jam, you’re in for a lovely surprise. It’s not overly sweet and goes so well with both savory or dessert like recipes. It’s a staple on EVERY cheese board I make because it pairs perfectly with everything.
Figs are a soft, sweet fruit with a thin skin and contains many small seeds inside. There are more than 850 kinds fig trees and they grow in warmer climates. They can be eaten when ripe or when dried.
Figs are technically not a fruit, they’re actually inverted flowers. Fig trees don’t flower like other fruit trees. Their flowers bloom inside the pear-shaped pod, which later matures into the fruit we know and love.
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.
How to Store Jam
Your fig jam recipe will last up to two years if processed by canning in a hot water bath. Freezer jam will last up to 6 months if stored in an airtight container.
Once opened, your homemade jam will last up to two months in the refrigerator.
More Easy Jam Recipes
Easy Fig Jam takes about 30 minutes to make and is very similar in technique to my Easy Strawberry Jam.
Easy…peasy. And if you’re looking for something another jam recipe you have to try THIS Orange Marmalade!
But seriously…..all my jam recipes are amazing so you should DEFINITELY try this easy Tomato Jam and THIS new Blueberry Jam is totally amaze-balls.
Serving Suggestions
Fig Jam is great for spreading on crostini with goat cheese and chopped nuts or you can heat it until syrupy to use as a flavorful glaze for chicken. It’s also a great topping for baked brie! So versatile, there’s really no limit to what you can do with it.
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. It’s amazing on these biscuits or slathered on some lightly toasted bread.
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Fig Jam Recipe
Equipment
- 1 saucepan
Ingredients
- 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
Instructions
- 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.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was so good! I didn’t have quite enough ripe figs on my tree, so I added a very ripe heirloom tomato to the mix. I peeled the skin off the tomato, and cut it into pieces the same size as the fig pieces. My husband and I had the jam on toasted sourdough bread, and we ate every bit of it!
What a great idea to add tomato! Thanks for sharing, I love that tip.
Great Recipe!!! We have a fig tree out front of the house in Maryland that decided to crazy this year and needed to do something with them before we went on vacation. We did a little alteration this time adding some bourbon in place of the water. Turned out awesome.
I love the addition of bourbon! I’m going to try that myself.
Thank you for the simple and tasty recipe! I made it with my 2 year old and we had it on some homemade bread for a snack.
thank you! I’m happy you loved it!
Conflicting info on storage. 2 months in fridge of 10 days? I’ve never made fig jam. Everyone on the eastern shore of Virginia has 4-5 and more fig trees drooping with sweet figs. All for the taking.
It’s supposed to say 2 months in the freezer or 10 days in the refrigerator. I wish I lived on the eastern shore of Virginia right now!
I have made your recipe a couple of times and it is very good! My neighbor here in NC has two or three fig trees and she brought me some yesterday. I haven’t seen figs this large – about 2 inches in diameter! Jam is cooling right now on the countertop so wanted you to thank you for posting this.
You’re very welcome! I’m jealous of your fig supply!
I have made this jam a few times now , it is always a favorite . Iam lucky to have a fig tree on our place . The Aussie sun makes them sweeter lol
You are so lucky to have a fig tree! Thank you for your comment!
Why use lemon juice?
I like the tartness to balance the sweetness.
We live in NJ and have multiple fig trees in our yard. We have made the jam three times so far, the second two times adjusting the ingredients based on what we have. We made the first batch as you suggested – AMAZING….only substitution is we use pancake syrup (equal parts) as a replacement for vanilla; this is something we have been doing since the pandemic when we ran out of vanilla extract. Most recently, we used frozen figs (slightly over 2 and a half pounds), bottled lime juice (about 1/4 cup) and no water…still yummy! Each time we are playing around with amounts as we have a lot of bagged, frozen figs (at least 10 bags of over 2 pounds each) from a great summer harvest. There’s a good chance it won’t last all winter as we put this “stuff” on everything! It’s so delicious, thank you for the recipe!
You’re very welcome! You’re in NJ and have fig trees?? I’m in PA and have wanted a fig tree but never have luck keeping them alive. I thought it was my zone but I guess it’s my black thumb. I’m so happy you love the recipe and appreciate you sharing your modifications.