Homemade Fig Jam Recipe (2024)

FAQs

How do you know when fig jam is done? ›

Points to remember

Take the jam off the heat while testing. Push your finger through the jam on the plate - you're looking for it to wrinkle and not flood back in to fill the gap. If it's not ready, turn the pan back on, simmer for five minutes and test again.

The ratio between fruit and sugar varies: with sweet fruits, it's about 2:1 (2 kilos of fruit, 1 of sugar), while with more bitter fruits like oranges, it should be more like 3:2. If uncertain, it's better to round up with the sugar. The other potential ingredients – lemon and pectin – are found in many jam recipes.

Fig jam will thicken as it cools. If Fig jam ends up being too runny, thicken it with a little cornstarch slurry or just boil jam down some more. If there is excessive foam at the end, just skim it off.

The jam must then be cooked over high heat in order to evaporate the water as quickly as possible and harness the power of the natural pectin. (Cooking time can vary, depending on a fruit's water content, but once it's at a rolling boil, expect to cook it for at least 40 to 50 minutes.

If it wrinkles and feels gel-like, it's ready to bottle. If it doesn't, keep cooking and test it every 5 minutes.

Jam recipes mostly comprise equal weights of fruit and sugar. You can play with this 1:1 ratio as much as you want, but too much fruit and you may lose the preserving effects of the sugar; too much sugar and it may crystallise during storage.

(1) Good jam requires a little bit of math to get the fruit-to-sugar ratio right, so the measuring starts with the weight of prepared fruit. Cup amounts will vary from fruit to fruit. (2)Most jam recipes call for a 1:1 ratio of fruit to sugar.

In addition to sweetening and helping with gel formation in regular jams, jellies and preserves, sugar plays a very important role in preventing spoilage. The large amount of sugar present reduc- es the “available” moisture for microbial growth.

Figs that are too ripe (insides oozing out), make for a bitter jam.

Why is my fig jam runny? ›

Too little sugar: Much like pectin, some fruits are higher in natural sugar than others. Jams made from fruits with higher sugar content thicken on their own more easily than those with less sugar. A no-sugar or low-sugar recipe might not call for enough sugar to naturally thicken the jam, even at a rolling boil.

If, after waiting, you find the jam is still too loose for your liking, empty the jars back into a wide pot and cook again. Wash and sterilize the jars and try again. While you can simply reduce the jam to your liking, you can also add commercial pectin or chia seeds to the reducing jam to guarantee thickening.

Fig jam and soft cheeses

Fig jam and its spicy taste can be paired with goat's fresh cheeses, such as Camembert and Brie.

The Best Figs for Fig Preserves

Fresh, ripe figs are best for making fig preserves. This includes mild green figs or black mission figs, which offer slightly different flavor profiles. Look for figs that are ripe but somewhat firm and not mushy.

If, on the other hand, the jam is rock solid, that means you've gone too far and cooked it too long. You can try adding a little water to thin it out, but bear in mind that after overcooking a jam, you can't really get those fresh fruit flavors back.

Once the jam is done cooking, it may look a little thin, but just remember that it will thicken in the fridge as it cools. For a thicker version (good for fruits that are low in pectin, like blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and peaches), add a tablespoon of pectin powder.

Give the jam 24-48 hours to set up (because truly, sometimes it can take that long for pectin to reach the finished set). If it still hasn't set, it's time to determine how much jam needs to be recooked. You don't want to remake more than 8 cups (4 pints) at a time.