It is perfect to taste on a slice of bread and butter, it can stuff all your cakes or give flavor to a cheese plate: in any case, fig jam is a real treat. 

Prepare it Yourself 

Whether made with black or green ones, fig jam is a delight to be enjoyed throughout the winter. It is perfect for filling cakes or biscuits, to accompany a cheese plateau, to give your desserts an extra touch, or simply to give a twist to your breakfasts. It can be done with all types of figs: with “fioroni,” which ripen at the end of June, or with figs that are found from mid-July until the end of September.

Sugar or no Sugar…, that is the Question

Figs have always been considered fruits rich in sugar. In reality, they are made up of 80% water and 12% sugar. No problem for the scale (the one in the bathroom or bedroom, not the kitchen one!), therefore, and when you decide to prepare a jam with figs, behave as if you did it with any other fruit. Consider a 40-60% sugar per kg of figs, depending on how much sweetness you want. OK, let’s got for 40%, is going to be good anyway! 🙂

All Combinations to Enhance

There are many ingredients that can be combined with fig jam, to enhance or balance its sweetness. All must be combined at the end of cooking, before pouring the jam into the jars. Cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, including spices, walnuts, almonds, pine nuts and raisins among dried fruit: these are the best combinations to enrich the fig jam. It is not necessary to toast walnuts and almonds, you can add them after having shelled them, directly in the pot with the cooked figs. If, on the other hand, you want to add a touch of spicy freshness to your jam, grate some fresh ginger: this way it will be perfect to taste with well-seasoned cheeses.

Sterilization of Jars

It is always a very important moment: tasting handmade preserves must be a “safe” pleasure, without risk to health. So first take your jars and put them in a pan full of water. Check that they are completely submerged, bring to a boil and let them sterilize for 1 hour. Then remove them from the water and fill them with the freshly made jam, leaving 1 cm empty from the edge. Close each jar with a new cap.

The Fig Jam Recipe

Take 1 kg of figs, wash them, dry them with a cloth and cut them into wedges. You can peel them or leave them intact, as you prefer. Put them in a bowl, add the juice of one lemon and 400 g of brown sugar. Stir, cover with a cloth and let stand overnight. 

After this time, put everything in a saucepan, cook for about an hour over low heat, skimming, from time to time, with a slotted spoon. When the mixture has reached the desired consistency, turn off, add the peel of a lemon, and pour into the jars that you have previously sterilized. 

Fill up to 1 cm from the edge, to prevent mold from forming, close and turn the jars upside down. Let it cool this way and then check that the vacuum has formed. At this point you shouldn’t feel the classic “click-clack”, otherwise put the jars in a pot with so much water that covers them up to half, bring to a boil and cook for about an hour, then let it cool in the pot. 

Once cool, dry them and place them in the pantry. Let it rest for 1 month before consuming it.

And enjoy the upcoming autumn!