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I was first introduced to figs when I was very young. My Italian grandmother lived in an urban neighborhood just a stone’s throws away from New York City. I still have vivid memories of the small garden she kept on a plot of land next to her garage. The garden was home to several pots of crawling vines studded with ripe, fragrant tomatoes and a tall, green fig tree. I never tried figs when I was younger; however, I remember my family enjoying them. Since then, I have grown to love this sweet, earthy fruit. The crunchy seeds of a fig provide an interesting textural contrast to its smooth skin and flesh. This Fig and Balsamic Jam features two pounds of fresh figs simmered with sugar, balsamic vinegar and black peppercorns. The finished product is un. real. Spread this jam over a crunchy piece of toast for breakfast or spoon over a few scoops of vanilla ice cream for dessert. Continue reading for the recipe.
Fig and Balsamic Jam
Ingredients
- 2 pounds fresh figs, stemmed and roughly chopped
- 1½ cups granulated sugar
- ½ cup balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon black peppercorns, bundled in cheesecloth*
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice (or to taste)
- Special equipment: candy/oil thermometer
Instructions
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In a large saucepan, combine chopped figs, sugar, balsamic vinegar and bundled peppercorns. Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to low and simmer until the mixture reaches a temperature of 220°F. Continue to stir occasionally while the mixture is simmering. Try to break up any large chunks of fig while stirring; however, you want to keep the consistency of the jam chunky.
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Once the mixture reaches 220°F, remove the saucepan from the heat. Test the consistency of the jam by placing 1 tablespoon of the mixture in small bowl. Place the bowl in the refrigerator for 10 minutes. If you find the jam is a bit too runny after 10 minutes, return the saucepan to the heat and simmer away for another 5 – 10 minutes.
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Once you have reached a desired consistency, remove the saucepan from the heat and let cool. Remove the bundled peppercorns and discard. Stir in 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and taste the jam. Add more lemon juice if needed. Transfer mixture to a canning jar or other container. Once the mixture is completely cooled, store in the refrigerator.
Recipe Notes
*Bundling the peppercorns in cheesecloth will make it much easier to remove them from the jam later. Start by cutting a small square of cheesecloth. Place 1 teaspoon of peppercorns in the middle of the square. Fold up the corners of the square to make a pouch. Tie the top of the pouch with a piece of kitchen twine.
Marly says
I love figs too. I only knew them as the middle of fig newtons for most of my life but once I discovered the real deal, I was down for the count. This recipe looks delicious!
SO YUM says
Thank you so much for letting me taste test your amazing jam……AMAZING is the keyword!!!!
Tiffany says
There used to be fig trees all over San Diego, but they are harder to find lately. I still haven’t tried my hand at making jam, but when I do, this is the kind of recipe I would love!
Marta says
This sounds absolutely delicious! I´ll be buying some figs tomorrow and trying it out!
Jen says
I have a fig tree in my front yard, so I usually make a fig-orange marmalade with mine, but I LOVE this idea! I’ll have to try this out.
Evan @swEEts says
I wonder if I can grow a fig tree in my new backyard?? this jam sounds amazing!
Sasha says
This looks incredible. Do you ever serve it with savory stuff?
Joy says
I love this recipe. Mine never came out like yours.
FoodRelatedBlog says
This recipe sounds delicious, I’ll have to give it a try!
Dina Avila says
This looks wonderful. You got my wheels turning for, say, fig peppercorn chutney?
Hmmmm….
Brandon Matzek says
@Tiffany I recently rescued a fig tree in my backyard that was covered in vines. No figs though. Maybe in years to come!
@Sasha This jam pairs very well with savory cheese and crackers/crostini. I am also considering making a baked brie with this jam and crumbled bacon (potential Thanksgiving appetizer). I’ll be sure to share the results once I make it!
@Joy Achieving the perfect consistency is the most difficult part of this recipe; however, if you follow the instructions in the second to last paragraph, you should be able to get there. Good luck!
@Dina Sounds interesting. Please let me know what you come up with!
penny aka jeroxie says
I am missing figs! YUM…>
Vibey says
So very delicious, but I have never been able to save enough figs for jam, even with a glut off our tree! We always seem to just scarf them all.
Fiona at Life on Nanchang Lu says
This is just the recipe I’m after today! The last of the figs are still in the markets and I was planning to make some fig and ginger jam but this looks even better. Thanks!
Benno says
This looks delicious but figs are SOOOO expensive here, equivalent to a dollar for just one – yikes!!..will just have to imagine how good this tastes!!
Sommer @ A Spicy Perspective says
I have tried this jam and it is AWESOME! Gorgeous snaps!
Fiona at Life on Nanchang Lu says
Back again to let you know that this jam is INCREDIBLE. Cooked it yesterday, back to the market today to get more figs because the first batch will be gone by the end of the month. A huge hit in our house, thanks!!!
Brandon Matzek says
@Sommer @Fiona I am so glad you two tried and enjoyed the recipe! My jar of jam is completely done. I am going to shop around this weekend to see if I can get another 2 pounds of figs. My vanilla ice cream just isn’t the same without a spoonful of this jam!
nutyluv says
I’m lucky enough to have a small fig tree that produces just enough figs each year for me to snack on and I made this and it was just wonderful. Thanks for this one!
Betty says
Traveling in the south of France we experienced this fabulous fig/balsamic combination! Any chance the hot water bath canning method would preserve them for a year? Any experience you care to share regarding that process would be greatly appreciated! Thanks for sharing this recipe.
Brandon Matzek says
Hi Betty, I’m sure you could make this jam shelf stable through the traditional canning process. I’ve never actually gone through that process though. Here’s all the info you’ll ever need on home food preservation: http://nchfp.uga.edu/publications/publications_usda.html Enjoy!!
Millie says
This jam sounds amazing! I can imagine serving it on a cheese board with some delicious grilled baguette! I’m drooling just thinking about it!
If you have a moment, do you mind checking out my blog please? Thanks!
Brandon Matzek says
Thanks Millie!! It’s wonderful on a cheese board.
Judy says
I’m still using your recipe after all this time since its original post. I got lucky that my son moved next door to a house with a fig tree and his neighbor lets me pick all the figs I want.
Trang says
Thank you for the recipe. Even though I didn’t exactly follow it I did get inspired by the fig and balsamic combo. I made mine with honey instead of sugar and left in the crushed peppercorn. I love the spicy kick from the pepper bits. The final result was a rather thick and sticky jam, still spreadable, that tasted delicious. Everyone loved it! Thanks again 🙂
Melissa Travis says
My cousin and I made this jam just now. It is wonderful! I cooked it about 45 minutes which gave it more of a chewy candy consistency. We will probably heat it a little before serving. Thanks for the recipe!
Brandon Matzek says
So glad you and your cousin like the recipe! It sounds like you cooked it a bit too much, but to be honest, it’ll still taste delicious. I’ve had a few jams that tighten up too much and they’re delicious as spreads with cheese + crackers. Or you can warm them up a bit to make it runnier. Thanks for sharing!