Easy Fig Jam Recipe - No Canning, No Pectin - EatSimpleFood.com

Recipe: eatsimplefood.com/easy-fig-ja...
This simple fig jam recipe does not have pectin and does not need to be canned. Additionally, this homemade fig jam recipe tastes amazing on top of being uber EASY and versatile.
Serve this beautiful fig jam recipe on a piece of buttery toast or a biscuit with peanut butter, with prosciutto, ham, Swiss cheese, gruyere, Brie, cream cheese, or Parmesan cheese.
What Part of A Fig Is Edible?
All fresh figs have a sticky milky white sap. It's edible and nothing to worry about.
The stem end of younger figs are tender and can be eaten, but as the figs age or dry out the stems become tougher and inedible.
Fig Jam - No Canning Required
Hey - look, can this fig jam recipe if you like. I have a fig tree and am trying to make life easy and fast and don't generally can food because we eat everything too fast.
I'm gonna let the sugar, the lemon juice, and the refrigerator do the heavy lifting and not can my fig jam.
I'm also making little jars to give away to neighbors and friends, so am not worrying about eating it next year. There will be more figs next year 🙂
How long does homemade jam that hasn't been canned last in the fridge? Ask yourself, how long a jar of jelly from the store that has been opened lasts in the fridge. A long time, right? 3 months minimally at my house. That's how long this jam lasts too if you don't contaminate it with other ingredients.
But hey - use your nose, your eyes, and your tastebuds. Trust that your senses know when something fresh tastes bad, and don't eat it if your spidy senses go off.
Fig Jam - No Pectin Needed
Figs are naturally low in pectin, but sugar helps thicken the jam as the water boils off during cooking. Pectin is used to speed up the gelatinization (is that a word?) of the jam.
Pectin is a thickener and lowers the cooking time of jams and jellies.
This fig jam recipe uses fresh lemon juice and also lemon zest which is high in pectin and aids in thickening the jam, as well as flavoring it. Lemon juice is also a preservative as it lowers the pH of the jam (more below).
When pectin is added to jam, it can also better maintain the fruits color and vibrancy because of the shorter cooking time.
Figs are naturally beautiful and colored in pink and red and I have not found that cooking it for 40 minutes affects the color or the taste. I do not use pectin in this fig jam recipe. I do not can in this fig jam recipe.
The Lowdown on Sugar and Lemon as Preservatives For Fig Jam.
Sugar is a preservative of some sorts. As is lemon juice as it lowers the pH of jams and jellies and help to inhibit bacteria growth.
This fig jam recipe has both sugar and lemon juice (acid). Bacteria / microorganisms will eventually grow here but your nose and tastebuds and eyes will see/smell/taste it, so don't trip out too much. Just eat the jam.
Choosing Figs for Fig Jam
Choose figs that are unblemished and not bruised when buying from the grocery store. These figs are from our yard and they taste the best when they have a couple "stretch marks".
Jam is forgiving. It can take a little bit of bruised fruit and a little bit of underripe fruit as long as the majority of the fruit is that perfect ripeness that we all love.
The Color of the Type of Fig Determines The Color of Fig Jam
There are so many types of figs. Any type of fig will work for this jam recipe, just remember the color of the jam will be a combination of the color of both the skin and the inside of the fig.
Use a Stainless Steel Low Sided Pot To Make Jam
Stainless steel doesn't react or impart a taste like aluminum or cast iron pans. A cast iron dutch oven or pot is fine as long as it's got the enamel on it.
Jam will cook quicker when it has a wide low sided pot because the liquid will cook off faster because of the large surface area, thus - the jam will thicken faster.
This pot has a fancy name and is called a rondeau pot. See it in the above picture with the quartered figs in a stainless steel pot with straight sides.
Makes 6 cups
Ingredients
• 8-10 cups (~ 50 oz) of Figs, stems removed and quartered
• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
Instructions
• In a large heavy bottom wide pot bring the water to a boil and slowly stir in sugar.
• Lower heat and simmer ~ 5-7 minutes uncovered, stirring occassionally.
• Add quartered figs, lemon juice, and lemon zest and bring to a boil.
• Lower heat and simmer ~ 20 minutes.
• Mash fruit with a potato masher for a couple minutes. There will still be chunks.
• Simmer for another ~20 minutes or until thick and most of water has evaporated.
• Mash again, cool a bit, and add to any jars you've got.
• Cool with lids off and then refrigerate.
• Good for a couple months if not contaminated with utensils with other ingredients. Can freeze fig jam as well but leave room for air to expand in jars.

[@Licey-ln8xs]

I bought some figs and I was looking for some ways of eating it and definitely I’m going to make this. Thank you 🌸

[@EatSimpleFoods]

Thank you for the comment Licey! Good luck with your figs. I'm gonna link a couple more fig recipes but I don't have videos for them yet: eatsimplefood.com/roast-figs-with-honey-glaze-and-whip-cream/ , eatsimplefood.com/salami-fig-parmesan-panzanella-salad/ , eatsimplefood.com/peach-fig-arugula-salad/ - Good luck with your batch of figs! - Beckie

[@DonaldCowling-fw5vg]

Thank you for this video. My husband grew up eating figs. I try to keep fig preserves,and fig newtons in stock. This is such an important video.

[@EatSimpleFoods]

Thank you for leaving a comment @Donald :). I didn't grow up eating figs but now we have three fig trees. I'll have to learn fig newtons next year!

[@terrivalazza8530]

Thank YOU soooooo much for this fantastic recipe!! I have tons of figs & this was so easy & painless!!! HapppY Holidays :)

[@EatSimpleFoods]

Thank you for the comment and for letting me know Terri! I had sooo many figs as well and all I could think to do was make jam and give most of it anyway. Happy holidays to you!

[@karinecarde1254]

I never eat figs nor make jam out of them either, BUT i'm showing support for your channel because you show continual integrity and your content is high quality 😊. God bless you, Friend ❤

[@EatSimpleFoods]

Hello Karine! I swear you must be one of my friends or family posting incognito :). Thank you for all the lovely comments and support and for making me want to be a better person! Blessings back to you friend.

[@karinecarde1254]

@@EatSimpleFoods 😊

[@artartartart777]

Why 2 cups of sugar instead of 1/2 to 1 cup

[@EatSimpleFoods]

Hi Arthur - thank you for the question. Simple syrup is generally a one to one ratio, but can also be a higher sugar to water ratio too. The sugar ratio doesn't really matter for the recipe as long as it's sweet enough for your own tastebuds. In addition to being a sweetener, sugar also acts as a preservative as well. More sugar will make the jam stay good longer. Thanks again! Beckie

[@artartartart777]

@@EatSimpleFoods thanks

[@108doublestitches]

Wish you would do a recipe for plain spaghetti sauce using canned tomato products. I need to cut down salt so I try to make it instead of using jarred but it always comes out bland and sour from the citric acid in canned tomatoes.

[@EatSimpleFoods]

Hi Robert - thank you for the comment! Try the simple sauce in this recipe: eatsimplefood.com/stuffed-chicken-cacciatore/ or in the sauce in this recipe: eatsimplefood.com/sage-sausage-meatballs-puttanesca-creamy-polenta - Both use canned crushed tomatoes. The first one is simpler. In the meantime, I will put a simple sauce on my list :). Cheers, Beckie

[@108doublestitches]

@@EatSimpleFoods2nd one sounds wonderful but high in sodium, I will try the 1st one. Do you have a brand of canned tomato you favor?

[@EatSimpleFoods]

@@108doublestitches - yes the second one has all the salty ingredients like capers, olives, anchovies. But that sodium in the nutritional is also for the Parmesan cheese (which has a lot of salt), the salt in the crushed tomatoes and also the salt in the meatballs. I would buy no salt added canned tomato products. I have used lots of different brands - I do like Muir Glen, but I really like using any canned San Marzano roma tomatoes. The whole canned tomatoes are the most flavorful in my opinion, and then I just smash them in my hands over a pot. Hope that helps :)

[@tinarodriguez9120]

Robert, I use Spike, it's a veg sal seasoning. Check it out.

[@108doublestitches]

@@tinarodriguez9120 Is it called Spike Vege Sal Salt Free Seasoning? I only see it online.

[@DKenUCLA]

Some of those figs you picked weren't ripe. They should be soft and no sap should come out. But I enjoyed the video, a lot of good tips.

[@EatSimpleFoods]

Thanks for the comment @DcenUCLA and you make a good point. Ripe figs definitely contain less milky sap than under-ripe figs. Having said that - on our trees - I still occasionally see a little milk on the stems of ripe, soft figs that are busting out of their skin. But, it's true - some of these figs were not fully ripe, but they were good enough for jam. At our house, it's a game of "beat the crows" to the figs :)

[@KJV7154]

If the birds don't get them first🥲

[@EatSimpleFoods]

For real - have to beat the crows in our yard!