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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.
Thank you for sharing this easy and very good recipe. I added cardamom to mine.
I love that idea! I bet it tastes amazing. Thank you for the tip!
My figs didn’t cook down all the way so I used an immersion blender and ended up with a fig butter (like apple butter). It’s super yummy and not too sweet. I might have had more than two pounds of figs!
Sometimes the figs require a little more time to simmer so they break down fully. But the immersion blender works, too!
The fig jam recipe was absolutely delicious. I didn’t realize how easy it was to make jam. I added just a few spices cinnamon, cardamom, and cloves. Every time I make it I change it up not in pursuit of the perfect recipe but just a variation. Thank you so much
The spices you added sound divine and will definitely be giving that a try. thank you!
I didn’t want to lose my figs so I froze them. Can they be used in this recipe?
Yes! They will work well in this recipe. I’m jealous you have frozen figs. 🙂
Hi, I don’t know what I did wrong. There was so much liquid that I had to simmer over an hour to get it to reduce. Any tips?
Hi Janet, When in doubt, just simmer longer so the liquid evaporated. It does gel up when it cools and a good way to test it is to put a plate in the freezer for 15-20 minutes then put a drop of jam on the plate. If it gels on the plate, it is ready.
I have used this recipes for two years now. I live in Western PA and have 4 fig trees of different varieties. The Chicago Hardy is planted in the ground. We surround it with straw bales in the winter filled with leaves and it survives! This is the second year I have had enough figs to make jam. It is so yummy with goat cheese or cream cheese on buttery crackers. My family devours it!
By the way- this jam freezes very well and I have the taste of summer all winter!
I love this! And thank you for the tip on the type of tree you have because I want a fig tree but so scared I’ll kill it in the winter.
There is no need to put any sugar in fig jam. It is already super sweet.
Not all figs, sometimes if you cook them before they’re entirely ripe you will need the sugar. Also, jam is known to be sweet, so we add the sugar. If you want to try without, feel free to make it without the sugar but it may be a little more loose than this version.
I love this jam but found adding the water made it too thin. Any thickening suggestions?
You really need to let it cook down longer if you find the jam is too thin.
My next gubernatorial r gave me loads of figs. Very ripe berries t color of skin is green? The taste is great
Thank you so much!
Taste great. Made it twice. However definitely needed to cook longer than 20 minutes. My figs are really juicy so maybe should have skipped the water? Also mashed with potato masher after cooking for smaller pieces.
Thank you for your comment! I’m happy you liked it!