Easy Homemade Fig Jam Recipe

Course: Side Dish, Snack

Cuisine: American

Prep Time: 5

Cook Time: 1

Total Time: 1 5

Servings: cups

Calories: 59kcal

Author: Emily

A quick and easy recipe to make homemade fig jam that's perfect for cheeseboard, appetizers, desserts and more!

Place water and sugar in a pan and cook on medium heat until sugar is dissolved. Add figs and lemon juice and bring to a boil.
Turn down the heat and simmer for about an hour with a lid mostly on. Take the time to stir and mash the mixture every once in a while. The figs will start to break down and the peels will start to break down.
After an hour, remove from heat and allow to cool. Mashup any remaining chunks of fig. If there are still larger pieces of skin, you can give the jam a quick pulse in your food processor or blender. Place in a sealable glass jar and keep the jam into the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Use any fig variety you have. The most common types are Mission, Brown Turkey, and Calimyrna, and they all work great. Calimyrna figs have a lighter green skin, so your jam may turn out a little lighter in color than expected. The flavor is still delicious.
Smash the figs as you go. Every 20 minutes, stir the mixture and smash up the figs with the back of a spoon. This helps break them down into a jammy consistency without needing a blender.
No pectin needed. Figs have natural pectin in them, and the jam will thicken up enough on its own. Just be patient and let it simmer the full hour.
Go easy with bottled lemon juice. Fresh lemon juice is ideal, but bottled works in a pinch. Just add it a little at a time since bottled lemon juice has added citric acid that can make the jam too tart.
Let it cool completely before storing. Don't rush this step! Transferring hot jam into a jar and sealing it can affect the texture and shelf life.
Freeze it for later. Use thick, sturdy glass jars or stiff freezer-safe plastic containers; leave ¾ of an inch at the top since the jam expands, and freeze for up to 6 months. Once thawed, it'll last an additional week in the fridge.
Plan ahead if using in a baked recipe. The jam takes about an hour and a half to make and cool, so if you're using it in something like Oatmeal Fig Bars with Coconut, make it a day ahead.