We have an overabundance of fresh figs. I mean a serious overabundance.
A bunch of you are probably wondering how I could ever think of that as a problem, but, really, I don’t even like figs. I’m not big on the flavor, and the seeds just weird me out. Let’s not even talk about their shape and what they resemble… I’ll just eat other fruits, thanks.
But when you have a giant fig tree in your backyard that produces infinitely throughout the summer, well, you gotta find something to do with them. So I give them away (I’m considering selling them, due to the fact that I saw them at the farmers market this weekend for four dollars a pound!), feed a few to the dog, and then give up when the tree is about to fall over with the weight of its ripe fruit and make jam.
The funny thing? The jam is actually pretty good. It’s still too figgy for me, but I know some fig-loving people who adore the stuff. And when combined with a bunch of peanut butter and smashed between some bread, it’s actually kinda good. In a weird I-don’t-even-like-this-stuff kind of way.
I somehow keep finding myself sticking the spoon back in the jar for just a little more. And the best part is that the seeds aren’t so noticeable and there is no off-putting shape! So that takes care of those two problems right there.
A lot of people are scared of making different jams, jellies, and preserves because of the need to “can” it, putting it in special jars with special lids and boiling them until you’re sure everything that might hurt you is dead, so that you can stick it in the back of your pantry and eat your carefully prepped and preserved harvest a year later without getting sick.
Sounds fun, right?
The truth is, I really do like making jam – when I can afford pounds of fruit and if AJ doesn’t get to it first (the guy really likes his fruit). But, there are easier ways!
If you just make a small batch of jam, then stick it right into the fridge, you skip the need for all of that the fancy equipment and don’t end up with enough jam to last you eons. Someday you’ll end up wanting to do the whole shebang, but this here recipe is good enough to get you started.
SO! If you are of the fig-loving variety, I wholly recommend you make this. I made it last year and gave it away as gifts to a few people who I knew loved figs. Each one raved about it, so I feel pretty confident about putting this recipe on here, even though figs aren’t really my kind of thing.
So get to makin’ this jam – even if you don’t really like figs – because you’re going to love what’s coming! In addition to sweet preparations, it’s also delicious in sweet and savory combinations, and it makes a tasty addition to a meat and cheese platter.
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Easy Homemade Fig Jam
- Total Time: 17 minutes
- Yield: 1.5 cups 1x
Description
Ingredients
- 1 lb black figs
- 3/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 tsp lemon juice (juice of 1/2 small lemon)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
Instructions
- Pull the stems off the figs, then puree them in a food processor until mostly smooth (a few chunks are okay to give it some texture).
- Transfer the fig paste to a medium-sized heavy-bottomed (but not cast iron) pot. Stir in the sugar, water, and lemon juice. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to medium.
- Boil, stirring nearly constantly, until it becomes jam-like in consistency. At this point it’ll look kind of shiny and will fall off a spoon in bigger clumps or sheets, as opposed to small drips. If you are unsure, turn off the heat and place a bit of the jam on a cold plate (stuck in the freezer before you begin), let it sit for a minute or so, then check the consistency to see if it is jam-like. If needed, return to the heat for a few more minutes.
- Once it is finished cooking, remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
- Carefully transfer the jam to a clean jar. Screw the lid on a bit, but don’t tighten it. Let it cool for an hour or so, then transfer to the fridge (still with a semi-loose lid). After it has cooled completely you can tighten the lid – it just gets stuck if you tighten it while hot. Store in the refrigerator.
Notes
Do not tighten the lid and store at room temperature. The jam at this stage has not been sterilized and is meant only to be stored in the refrigerator – this is a quick jam, not a true canning recipe.
You could most likely go ahead and can this if you wish, but I have not tried it with this exact recipe, and therefore make no promises. The proportions of ingredients may need to be altered, and the batch is small.
Jam can be refrigerated for a maximum of 10 days, or frozen.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 12 minutes
- Category: Jam
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Canning and Preserving
Keywords: jam, fig
Craving more? Find more canned and preserved recipes here. Our favorites right now? Our strawberry basil jam recipe and our peach jam!
And if you’re a fig-lover, try these recipes:
- Popsicles with Banana and Tahini
- Fresh Fig and Ricotta Tart
- Roast Chicken Panini with Fig and Goat Cheese
Be sure to let us know how you’re planning to enjoy this recipe in the comments below, and give it a five-star rating if you loved it.
Don’t forget to Pin It!
Photos by Raquel Smith, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on August 25th, 2014. Last updated: October 16, 2023 at 11:13 am.
Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.
About Raquel Smith
Raquel is a whole foods enthusiast, an avid mountain biker, and a dog lover. She works by day at Food Blogger Pro and formerly maintained her food blog "My California Roots" (now merged into Foodal).
Oh, man! I would really like to experience an over-abundance of figs. They are so expensive around here. $10 for a small box with about 20 figs that are about to go bad any minute. I do love figs but tried fig jam once and didn’t like it at all. Love your styling as usual 🙂
★★★★★
Thanks, Maria 🙂 I’d give you a whole box of figs if you lived around here!
My trick is mix a box of strawberry jello with figs amazing difference and I’ve been doing bathos for thirty years??? Every one loves this and with turkey and meats try it maria let me know I want to do u tube so much. I just got through plum jam
I use a batch of strawberries. It’s great
I love fig jam and hope to make more of this wonderful recipe as the figs ripen locally, I did make half this recipe from a few figs I got from the Raleigh Farmer’s market which is fabulous, by the way!
★★★★★
I mix mine with strawberries. Yum !!
How long can you keep the jam in the refrigerator?
You can keep it in the fridge for a max of about 10 days, Christine. Or, it can be frozen!
Easy recipe! A fig tree is a blessing! We love fig jam on Pancakes, French Toast, Peanut butter sandwich, Scrambled Eggs, Biscuits, etc, etc. Even Love it with just a spoon!!
Best ever jam so easy made it three times always turns out great, this time I used the juice of our oranges so yummy ????????☺☺
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So glad you enjoyed it, Noggs!
I made this over the weekend and I might need to make another jar already! We’ve been using it on EVERYTHING! Thanks!
Glad you enjoyed it, Miranda!
How long will this last in the fridge before it goes bad?
For about 10 days.
Put a little pectin and use glass jars steamed ~ 3 months
I don’t have a fresh lemon but do have lemon juice. I have figs I need to make jam with before they go bad So my question is how much lemon juice is equal to 1/2 a small lemon. Thank you so much
Sorry for the lack of detail, Charlene! About 2 tsp. lemon juice should suffice. We’ve updated the recipe card for clarity as well. Enjoy the jam!
Easy, tasty recipe! Thank you very much!
I made this fig jam and it was average to me sorry. A Lebanese lady showed me a different recipe and without any Vanilla. It was so delicious. Anyway I thank you for your recipe
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I double the batch omitted vanilla in second batch. Tastes amazing!
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Would like your recipe. Made it with vanilla and that’s all I tasted. Looking for a recipe without vanilla
I just picked a ton of figs from my friends tree, can’t believe that they hadn’t picked any and they get waisted!
Figs are marvelous and so nutritious.
I just finished trying your recipe and it turned out beautifully ❤️
Thank you!
★★★★★
I have a tiger fig tree and the skin on them is kind if tough, do i put the whole fig in the blender?
Some jam-makers recommend peeling figs with tougher skins, but you could certainly blend these after removing the stems.
My neighbor’s green fig tree is over flowing, and I can’t let them go to waste…do you suppose green figs would work in this recipe instead of the purple?
Yes, definitely. Give it a try!
How did the green figs do? I wait until they ripen to a yellow tone and soft before I use them (very sweet).
Delicious! And easy. I reduced the sugar, added fresh grated ginger, and skipped the vanilla.
★★★★★
If it is too figgy try adding thinly sliced lemons, pulp, pith and zest, quartered. Add while cooking the figs. That’s how my mother in law used to make it and it was wonderful.
Do you use plastic or glass in freezer?
Made the fig jam it is delicious while warm. Once it cooled we could not spread it. What did I do wrong?
C.A., it sounds like your jam was over-cooked. But you may still be able to save it! Some jam-makers recommend reheating it gently in a saucepan with about 1/4 cup water, lemon juice, your favorite type of alcohol, or a combination of these per cup of jam. As an alternative, you could try using your overly thickened finished product as a fruit filling for pastry.
Great recipe! I used green figs grown right here in Raleigh. I also threw a couple ripe pears from my farm in with the figs. Oh boy is it good!
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Yum, sounds wonderful!
This is very good and I will enjoy it. It made four small containers. I processed three and kept one for the fridge. I have to say however that I love figs and I think it would be better and more fig-tasting had I left the vanilla completely out, so will do so next time.
We also have an over abundance of figs… I’ve made this jam 2 times for my adult kids to take home, they love it! For my son who’s a bachelor, we only filled the jar half way and used the food saver to freeze the other half. Thank you for this.
★★★★★
Can you make this jam the same way as in your recipe with dry figs?
You could, but you will need to make some adjustments, and the finished product won’t have quite the same texture or flavor as what you would get if you used fresh figs. Decrease the quantity of figs to about 1/3 cup, and increase the water to about 1 cup. The simmering time will also need to be longer, to reconstitute the dried fruit.
Let us know how it turns out!
If you actually like figs, I suggest eliminating the vanilla or at least cutting it down drastically. And add lemon zest. Less sugar. This is definitely a recipe for someone that doesn’t like figs. I should have paid more attention to that statement.
★★★
Is there a reason you couldn’t finish this in a water bath and keep it for longer?
We haven’t tested the acidity level of this recipe to determine whether it is safe for canning.
Well well, my tree is in it’s fourth year, loaded, and I mean loaded. Will try this recipe but will can the fruit.
I was wondering if you can use figs that aren’t ripe for the jam I have figs that fell off the tree but aren’t ripe i need to know if I can use them?
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Using unripe figs isn’t recommended for this recipe- they are usually soaked for a certain amount of time to remove sap before making jam. I’d recommend searching for a recipe specifically designed for use with the unripe fruit.
Made it today.
Hope you enjoyed it, Teresa!
I made this today and was going to warn everyone to use gloves and a long-handled spoon for stirring because I got popped on and burned during the early stages of boiling. I resolved it by putting a lid on and stirring occasionally. I have a mandarinquat tree, so I juiced a couple of those instead of lemon.
★★★★★
I just made this recipe for the first time (the jam is cooling right now). I grew up eating homemade fig preserves, and I’ve missed them for years, which is why I planted fig trees to begin with. I was honestly dubious about this recipe as I cooked it (first time making any kind of jam), but quickly changed my mind when I tasted the final result. The jam turned out wonderfully. Quick, easy, and delicious! Thanks for the great recipe!
★★★★★
I did this yesterday with green figs and it came out wonderfully. Thanks for the recipe.
★★★★★
Can you make this jam the same way as in your recipe with dry figs?
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We haven’t tested it Margie, but this should work if you reconstitute them first. The flavor and texture will not be exactly the same as what you would get if you used fresh fruit, and you may need to adjust the liquid and sugar content.
I made this day before yesterday and it’s wonderful. Thank you!
★★★★★
Great taste and easy. I made fig jam for the first time using this recipe. I’d love to toy around with it. Add lemon zest, honey, etc.
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Hi! First time I have ever made jam and I followed your recipe. Only changes I made was to add some more water, sugar and lemon juice as I used a lot of figs and I cooked it for longer to thicken it up. It tastes delicious and I am so proud ???? Thank you!
★★★★★
Hi, I was wondering why the amount of lemon juice does not change when you press the scale button. Is it correct that no matter how much you make (even with 3 lbs of figs), you just use 2 tsps of lemon juice?
Also, other recipes say you can leave it for up to a month in the fridge. How do you know when it’s no longer good?
Thank you!
Hi Jill,
Thanks for your questions. No, this is not correct- thanks for pointing out the error! The lemon juice measurement was not formatted correctly to work with our plugin for doubling or tripling. This has been corrected.
Our best advice regarding food safety is to rely on your senses. If you see mold growing on the top after a long period of refrigerator storage, detect off flavors, or are otherwise in doubt, throw it out. Hopefully you’ll enjoy the batch long before it spoils!
“After it has cooled completely you can tighten the lid – it just gets stuck if you tighten it while hot.”
You should not be allowed to post recipes online if you don’t know about everyday kitchen hygiene procedures.
What makes the lid stick is the vacuum that is forming in the jar/can/whatever. The lack of oxygen is what makes your product last longer, it will also prevent oxidation which will make your marmalade brown because even the antioxidant properties of the lemon juice have its limits.
Thanks for your message, Adrian. You are correct that the vacuum seal that is created when canning hot products like homemade jam helps to make them shelf stable. But as noted in the recipe, this is a quick refrigerator jam- not a recipe designed for hot water bath or pressure canning with subsequent shelf storage.
If you do make this recipe, we recommend cooling the jam completely before storage, and storing it in the refrigerator or freezer.
Questions: Does the long boiling process not sterilize the jam? Does the boiling jam not sterilize the inside of the jar? If you turn over the jar for five minutes and set it upright, and the lid pops, does that not seal the jar?
Great questions, Heidi. To sterilize jars for canning, they need to be submerged in boiling water for 10 minutes – filling jars with boiling contents does not qualify, in large part because whatever you are canning will not come in contact with every part of the interior surface of the jars. Lids and rings need to be sterilized in boiling water as well. However, any canning recipe that calls for more than 10 minutes of processing time (in a water bath or pressure canner) does not require pre-sterilization since the jars will be sterilized during processing.
When lids are screwed on top and the hot contents create a vacuum, this does seal them. Figs have a pH value around 4.6, right at the mark that is considered safe for canning. The acid level of natural products can vary, so testing is recommended to ensure a proper pH level. Acidity is very important for food safety of canned products, and adding lemon juice helps to acidify them. We have not tested this recipe for safe pH levels, so refrigerator or freezer storage is recommended.
If you are an experienced canner who is able to ensure safe sterilization of the jars as well as a safe acid level of the jam, by making your own adjustments to the recipe as needed, you may be able to create a product that is suitable for shelf-stable long-term storage.
My jam after it cooled bacame very hard. Help what happened
Just a shout out to thank you for the recipe and for being so kind to the “expert” who rudely called you out for incomplete instructions. I’ve been making jams and jellies for 60+ years and am a pharmacist who had compounded mixtures in various ways. The point is you clearly explained that this was a quick jam that had limited stability as compared to traditional jam recipes that must be followed without deviation to assure desired product results and shelf life. It is pseudo experts like the commenter who make inexperienced cooks afraid to try new things. Of course one must apply due diligence to this and other recipes that are new to the cook. So… thanks again and I wished I lived near to some of these lucky folks who have an overabundance of figs!
Thanks Mickey. I’d love to have a fig tree too (or a neighbor with one)! 🙂
I follow the regular canning process? Thanks!
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Please see the other comments on this article Chelsea. We haven’t tested this product for safety using water bath or pressure canning methods, and you’ll have to keep the pH level of the figs in mind. Rather than creating a shelf-stable product, we prefer to store ours in the refrigerator or freezer. But an experienced canner could likely produce a delicious pressure canned product using this recipe, with just a bit of tinkering to ensure food safety!
Great! So easy to do that. I did it for usual breakfast. Save time and cheap! Thank your sharing much!
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Can this recipe be multiplied for a gallon of fig pieces?
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Great! I could do it by myself last Sunday and try it today. Cannot say anymore, Wonderful!
Your recipe is so perfect!
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Thanks so much for sharing this easy recipe. I love figs and am always glad to find new ways to use them. Cannot wait to spread this on my morning toast.
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I haven’t tried it yet, but fig jam is the bomb on a toasted English muffin
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This was a super easy to make recipe. It sounded like my great grandmother’s recipe initially. I was searching for something to incorporate into my dinner this evening. I tested the jam before the addition of the vanilla and it was a slam dunk, but the vanilla, for me, threw it off a bit. Will be trying this again without the vanilla. Maybe I’ll use this batch for breakfast or desserts.
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Making a more savory version sounds delightful! You could try adding your choice of fresh herbs to taste as well.
Can I substitute brown sugar for the white sugar? What consequences would occur?
Yes, you can certainly use brown sugar to make jam! Note that the flavor will be more molasses-y, and the color of the finished product will be a bit darker.
I tried this jam with a couple tablespoons of fig balsamic vinegar while cooking. Off the charts!! Thank you!!!!!!
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I have a fig tree and an abundance of figs. I decided I was going to try to make fig preserves and it was a complete disaster. I had my heart set on a fig spread so I figured I’d try this quick recipe… it turned out great!! Thank you so much for the recipe, can’t wait to share with my family tonight. Will definitely make again!!
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Thank you for this easy Fig Jam recipe. My fig tree is turning out fresh figs every other day. I have made a Fig upside down cake made with goat cheese, honey, & walnuts. My second Fig upside down cake was made with walnuts, lemon, flour and brn. sugar as well as white sugar. Both were a success. I also made Fig tarts on pastry sheets, twice. Today I made your Fig Jam recipe. It is cooling, but, I already tried it, and it is a success. One pound of figs yields 3-8 oz. jars of jam.
Fantastic! Everything sounds delicious, Mary!
How long would this be good if kept in the freezer, and would it still have a 10 day shelf life in the fridge once thawed? I also have a fig tree with way more figs than I know what to do with! I would love to be able to give the jam away as Christmas presents, but given that Christmas is 4 months away and my figs are ripe now, I want to make sure it would still be good then!
Congratulations on your productive fig tree! An abundance of fresh fruit is a wonderful problem to have. As long as it is frozen consistently (keep in the back of the freezer, away from the door, or in a subzero unit) it should last for up to 6 months. After thawing, it should keep in the fridge for about a week, maybe a little longer. Be sure to leave some extra head room in the containers before freezing, to allow for expansion. Sounds like a wonderful gift!
A dash of balsamic reduction and a pinch of salt makes this recipe deliciously complex.
Can someone clarify? If I use black mission figs do I need to peel them?
You can puree them with the peels on after removing the stems, or scoop the ripe flesh out of the peels.
You absolutely do not need to peel figs.
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I agree personally, and our recipe does not recommend peeling them! But for those who prefer it, the ripe flesh can easily be scooped out of the skin before processing.
Mine didn’t thicken. I don’t know what I did wrong. It’s more of a delicious fig sauce.
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You can fix runny jam by cooking it longer. The set point for thickening homemade jam is around 220°F.
Easy and very good recipe . I used monk fruit sweetener for my diabetic husband and it came out so good . Now we both can share and enjoy fig jam Prosciutto arugula sandwich which is my all time fave . Thanks for the easy recipe .
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Yum, enjoy the sandwiches, Imelda- sounds delicious!
Allison, looks like your recipe is a winner. They are still not ripe to do it but my questions is can I use real Stevia instead of brown or white sugar? Thanks in advance. Other substitute instead of sugar?
You certainly can make fig jam without added sugar! But note that you may need to make some adjustments to get it to thicken as it cools. Sugar reacts with the natural pectin in the fruit while stevia does not. I haven’t tried this myself, but some sugar-free recipes recommend adding “sugar-free” pectin, which is specifically designed to work with alternative sweeteners in jam-making. Look for products labeled “low or no sugar needed.”
You will likely need to use less stevia than the quantity of sugar that’s called for as well, since it is a sweeter product. Stevia is heat-stable up to 248°F so it can be added to the pot with the fruit (and pectin) and brought to a high temperature, unlike other sweeteners like sucralose.
WOW “mmm this is delicious”
This the response l received from my head chef partner in my house!
I have never made jam before & l only made this jam as l had been given ripe green figs that l couldn’t eat & l didn’t what to throw into the compost bin.
1. Because my lovely elderly neighbour gave them to me
2. Fresh locally grown figs “Yummy”
Thank you for posting this recipe & helping me became a 1st time jam maker & a wonderful fig jam maker !
I bought small jam jars & filled them and placed them in the freeze ready to use when l need them!
Looking forward sharing my fig jam with my neighbour who gave them to me & friends with cheese, homemade Italian sausage, crackers & Vino!!!
Just made this today and it is soooo Yummy. I’ve never had fresh figs until this past week when I realized I had fig trees in my back yard. So my mom suggested I make fig jam. I’m so glad I did and that I found this recipe for it. It’s super easy to make and super delicious!! My kiddos LOVE it too. It’s their first time having figs or fig jam as well! I’m taking some to my mom tomorrow for her to try it!
★★★★★
Wow, fig trees in the yard – fantastic! We’re so glad you enjoyed the recipe. Hope your mom likes it too!
Love this quick, and easy recipe. It will be my go to Fig Jam recipe.
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My favourite jam.
I recently found a tree full of green unripe figs. I am from South Africa and have made green fig preserve many times but living in England I have been unableto find green unripe figs before now. There were not many figs on the tree so I took all that were available. I live in Kent UK. If anybody living locally has some spare ripe or unripe figs I would love to have them.
I have also made jam from loquats, also one of the best flavoured jams I have ever tasted.
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Can you use lime juice instead of lemon juice
You could, and the taste will be similar with a similar level of acidity.
Rachel, I, unfortunately, can not have sugar. I cook and bake with Splenda. If you could either give me a heads up or down about using it in your recipe, because I’d rather not waste a pound or my figs if it won’t work.
Hello, Jane!
We have not tested this recipe with sugar substitutes, but we encourage you to try this recipe. Even though Splenda will not have the same preservative properties as the sucrose in granulated sugar, you’re in luck! This recipe is meant to be a refrigerated jam, and should not undergo any form of canning.
As long as you take the time to slowly cook the mixture to reduce enough of the liquid to yield a jam-like consistency, using Splenda should work.
You can also experiment by halving the recipe, rather than making a full recipe. Please let us know if you give this a try!