Who doesn’t like their breads, smoothie bowls, desserts or any other similar dishes topped with a zingy fruity jam, spread or conserve? This Fig Jam is just going to be that friend for your toppings, making them healthier, tastier and prettier as well. Easy to prepare and fuss-free, this Fig Jam recipe is made with fresh figs and jaggery (can be made with sugar as well). You really can’t miss giving this a try!
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The best way to use fresh figs in season is to make a batch of this delicious, preservative, additive and pectin free, vegan and gluten-free Fig Jam.
This simple Fig Jam recipe also calls for a healthier choice of sweetener, that is, powdered jaggery instead of sugar. With jaggery the jam has rustic earthy flavors.
Jaggery is basically Indian unrefined sugar made by boiling sugarcane juice. Jaggery is easily available in syrup, powder and blocks online. My recipes uses powdered jaggery but you can easily swap it with jaggery blocks or syrup.
Also you don’t have to worry if you do not have jaggery. In the absence of jaggery at home, you can use regular sugar.
This Fig Jam recipe is inspired by my friend Anamika’s recipe. I had decided to recreate it at my home. It is simply lovely and quite irresistible.
Just as any other jam, this Fig Jam can also be used as a topping on cakes, custards, muffins, ice creams or any other dessert that you may like to have it with.
You can give this to your kids in paratha or roti roll-ups too. Just spread a heap of this Fig Jam on the paratha, roll and pack in their dabba (tiffin). They’re going to love it!
Why opt for Fig Jam
I have been a fruit lover all my life. And the best way I’d like to consume my fruits, other than in their raw fruit form, is in jams, jellies, spreads, marmalades, conserves or preserves.
One very important thing about fruits in these forms is that you can enjoy your favorite fruit any time of the season. There is no better way than these to preserve the goodness of fresh seasonal fruits.
A particular fruit will still have their shelf-life. But the bottom line is that you pretty much have an access to it for many months at a go!
I have been regularly preparing this Fig Jam recipe whenever ‘it’s that time of the year’ of fresh figs. Figs are rich in vitamins and minerals too. Hence, should be consumed as and when they can be.
Besides relishing this Fig Jam with my homemade Whole Wheat Bread, I also make a delectable Fig Jam Roll.
How to make Fig Jam
Prep Figs
1. Rinse, dry and chop 12 to 15 fresh figs. You can even mash or crush lightly.
To rinse these many figs – soak the figs in a bowl or kitchen sink containing water covering them to which you have added about 1 tablespoon of vinegar and 1 teaspoon of baking soda for about 10 minutes.
Then rinse again with fresh clean water a few times. Drain all of the water. Spread the figs on a tray or plate to dry naturally or pat them dry with a clean kitchen towel.
Cook Figs
2. In a pan, add the chopped figs and 1 cup water.
3. Keep the pan on a low to medium-low heat and let the figs cook. After 4 to 5 minutes, add ¼ cup organic powdered jaggery or raw sugar.
4. Stir and let the fig mixture cook slowly on low heat.
Make Fig Jam
5. Later after about 15 to 18 minutes after adding jaggery, the mixture will begin to thicken slowly. Keep stirring and mash the cooked figs while stirring.
6. The fig jam mixture will thicken more and reach this consistency after about 7 to 8 minutes.
7. Keep an eye on the fig mixture as it is thickening. It will begin to thicken quickly and if you don’t keep an eye you might end up with a thick gelatinous mass. This is after 3 minutes.
8. Lastly, after 5 more minutes, this is the final Fig Jam consistency that we require. On low heat, it takes about 35 to 40 minutes to cook this jam. When the mixture starts to leave the sides of the pan, it means its done. Other ways to check the doneness is by these 2 steps:
- Plate Test: Take a spoonful of the Fig Jam on a plate and let it cool. If it sets on cooling and there is no water separation, the jam is done.
- Spoon/Sheet Test: Take the Fig Jam in a spoon and allow it to fall. If the jam falls in the form of sheet from the spoon, it is cooked and ready to be bottled.
Also, towards the end, add 2 to 3 pinches of ground cinnamon and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Stir and mix well.
Note that the timing will vary with the kind of pan, size of pan and the heat intensity.
Store Jam
11. Cover the pan with a clean kitchen towel and let the jam cool. Once cooled, fill a clean sterilized glass jar with the jam and refrigerate it. Use it as a topping on your favorite desserts or spread it on your toasts.
Do use a glass jar to store the jam. Avoid using plastic jars as the chemicals from them can leach in the food.
Spoon the jam with a clean dry spoon in the sterilized glass jar. Seal tightly and keep the jar in the refrigerator.
Expert Tips
- Making jams or preserves is easy. Just make sure to take care of the hygiene. So, whenever I prepare jams that should last for months, I sterilize my glass jars in hot boiling water. In case the recipe gives a small yield, using a clean jar and storing it in the refrigerator is enough.
- You must always use good quality of fresh fruits which have to be rinsed well and then dried completely with a clean kitchen towel.
- The amount of jaggery/sugar can be adjusted as per your taste or depending on the sweetness of the figs.
- One very important point that you must keep in mind is that after the jam is cooked, no water or moisture should fall in it. Any moisture in the jam will reduce its shelf-life and can lead to its spoilage. So, cover the pan with a kitchen towel and not with a lid in order to avoid the condensation on the lid.
- Lemon juice is a natural preservative along with jaggery/sugar.
- The spices added to the jam not only makes it flavorsome, but also act as preservatives.
- You can check the doneness of the Fig Jam by 2 methods: Plate Test or Spoon/Sheet Test. Read about these methods in the Step-by-Step Guide above.
FAQs
Generally, jam is made using chopped or crushed fruit while jelly is made using only fruit juice and not the actual fruit itself. As such, jellies are mostly thickened with pectin, whereas many jams can be made without it.
This Fig Jam can be stored for about a month in the refrigerator.
No, it is not necessary to peel the figs as the peels are usually very soft.
Yes, you can use regular sugar instead of jaggery.
Yes, you can skip using ground cinnamon powder. But I recommend you to use it as it only elevates the taste of the jam.
I would not recommend using honey instead of jaggery or sugar. According to Ayurveda, honey becomes toxic when boiled and cooked.
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Fig Jam Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 to 15 fresh figs
- ¼ cup organic jaggery powder or raw sugar or white sugar, add more if needed depending on the sweetness of the figs
- 2 to 3 pinches ground cinnamon (cinnamon powder)
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 cup water
Instructions
- Rinse the fresh figs well, let them dry naturally or dry with a kitchen towel. Make sure there is no moisture or water droplets on the figs. They should be thoroughly dry.
- Trim the upper stalks and chop the figs.
- In a thick bottomed pan, add the chopped figs and water.
- On a low to medium-low heat, cook the figs.
- After 4 to 5 minutes, add the jaggery powder or sugar.
- Continue to cook the fig mixture on low heat for about 35 to 40 minutes or as needed, stirring frequently. Mash the figs while you stir them. Keep in mind that the cooking time of the jam will vary with the kind of pan, size of pan and the heat intensity.
- If the mixture looks dry to you, then add some tablespoon or about ¼ cup hot water.
- Check for doneness of the jam by doing any of the below tests. 1. Take a spoonful of fig jam on a cold plate and let it cool. If it sets on cooling and there is no water separation, this means the jam is done.2. Or take the fig jam in a spoon and allow it to fall. If the jam falls in the form of sheet, it is done and ready to be bottled.
- Lastly, add the ground cinnamon and lemon juice. Mix well.
- Remove the pan from the stove-top and place on the kitchen countertop.
- Cover the pan loosely with a kitchen towel and allow the jam to cool at room temperature.
- When the Fig Jam is completely cooled, pour into a sterilized clean glass jar.
- Keep the jam in refrigerator. The fig jam keeps well for about a month in the refrigerator.
Notes
- This recipe can be scaled and you can make large portions of jam.
- Swap jaggery with sugar. Also add sugar as needed depending on the sweetness of the figs.
- For jaggery do check for debris or stones. If the jaggery powder has impurities than melt it in the 1 cup water. Strain and add this 1 cup of jaggery liquid to the figs.
- Remember to cook the jam on a low to medium-low heat in a thick bottomed pan so that the jam does not get browned or burnt while cooking.
- Always store the jam in sterilized glass jars for a longer shelf life. Place the jam jar in the refrigerator.
- The approximate nutrition info is for 1 small jar of Fig Jam.
Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)
This Fig Jam recipe post from the archives first published on April 2013 has been republished and updated on 22 May 2022.
ok. thanks for replying ☺
very tempting, can we use dried figs instead
usha, i am not sure how the jam with dried figs will be and also not sure for how long it will remain.
I tried this jam today and turned out yummy. I used brown sugar . I have a fig tree and so will be making this again and again . Thank you .
thanks sonal for this positive feedback. you are lucky to have fig tree 🙂
Nice recipe! , I’m wondering if can I use another variety of fig for this jam because I have a wild fig tree in my backyard (its figs are small and red are also very tasty and its “overflowing” on the branches) and because it bears very often , I just eat them fresh from the tree.
thanks aaron. yes you can use but adjust the sugar as per sweetness of the wild fig.
Thanks for the recipe! I actually used frozen (thawed) figs, and decreased the water to ¾ cup. I’m serving it with baked brie muffins!
welcome brittney. thanks for sharing the feedback and your variation.