Easy Fig Jam
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….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.
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.
EASY FIG JAM
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. The fruit 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 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.
CAN YOU MAKE JAM WITHOUT PECTIN
Some fruits are naturally high pectin fruit so they will come together nicely all on their own but strawberries and other fruit are lower in natural pectin so a bit of lemon juice (and the zest for some pop) will help them become the best jam ever without adding additional pectin.
HOW LONG DOES HOMEMADE JAM LAST?
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.
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!
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.
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Easy Fig Jam
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.
Nutrition
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!
I’m not sure where you are, but I bought one that is hardy in our Nebraska temps. Tractor Supply; imagine that!
It got a great start before the heat, in a large pot. I also planted peas in it, to protect the new start as it heated up-until it got established. The huge pot allowed me to moved it when needed, to get enough heat/shade and take it in in the winter- just in case.
Terrible thing happened, I was pulling up the old peas and took it up also, by careless accident. I forgot it was under there! Looked great though.
Tore too much root, and didnt recover.
Never hurts to try! I love an experiment 🙂
RC
Trained cook and foodie, Master Gardener, and Dietetic Technician
I so love a fig!
I’m on the east coast….I’m definitely getting one that I can bring inside next year!
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 [email protected]. figs are awesome!
Thank you!
This was a quick and easy recipe but way too sweet. Next time I will use half the sugar.
The sugar does help it come together so don’t cut it too much or you’ll have soupy jam.
We live in Vancouver, B.C. and we have 2 fig trees! One is a Calamyrna (green) and the other is a Mission (black/dark purple). Both trees have been prolific for the last 4 years that I’ve lived here. I can easily pick 30 lbs. at a time (which is a lot of jam!).
I wish we had fig trees….I think I may have to get one and try it out. This jam is perfect for that!
This sounds amazing!! I have a lot of figs that I froze over summer….do you think that would work okay?
They would be perfect!
I only put 1/4 cup of sugar and it turned out really good. We used an immersion blender in the end which made it smoother.
Love the tip with the immersion blender! I like a bit of texture but will definitely try your suggestion.
Can I use bottle lemon juice, and if so how much?
I don’t recommend bottled lemon juice. I haven’t tested it and can’t guarantee your recipe will be a success if you use it.
Can you just use lemon juice from a bottle or does it actually have to be a real lemon?
I don’t recommend bottled lemon juice. I haven’t tested it and can’t guarantee your recipe will be a success if you use it.
I’m using three tablespoons of lemon juice. Hope it okay. I also used a potato masher to get it a bit less lumpy. I’m so excited.
I hope you love it! It’s one of our favorites.
Hi there! Do you use sugar as a preservative? I am curious about the self-life less the sugar. Or, perhaps using honey.
Yes, the sugar is the “preservative” but I don’t can this recipe. I either store it in the fridge or freeze it.