Homemade Fig Jam With Fresh Figs (Without Pectin)

This homemade fig jam recipe is amazing. I make it with brown sugar (a game changer) and then use it on everything. This is a very simple jam recipe with no added pectin. No canning skills are required either! 

I am so excited about this small batch fig jam recipe, not only because it’s absolutely delicious but because I really need more fig recipes on this site. It is called Fig Jar after all! (There’s a whole story behind the name, but more on that later).

My first time making homemade jam was kumquat jam, which was a crazy success, so I wanted to try a fresh fig jam recipe! I made this quick jam with brown sugar which gives it that je ne sais quoi that makes good food even better.

This recipe is made with just 4 ingredients, in one pot in about 40 minutes. You don’t need any fancy canning equipment or pectin. This jam is delicious on buttered toast, biscuits, scones, and with goat cheese. Let’s make it!

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links, which means if you decide to purchase any of the items linked in this post, I should earn a small commission. This creates no additional cost to you and helps support the work that goes into running The Fig Jar. Thank you! -Becky 

This super easy fig jam recipe is best with ripe figs from a fig tree (should you be so lucky) or you can just stock up at Trader Joe’s during fig season (that would be me). This recipe calls for fresh figs rather than dried so make it when figs are in season at the end of summer and stretch out your enjoyment of them for a few more months. And if you have any extra figs left over, you can make this yummy fig and honey upside-down cake!

Ingredients for fig jam

To make this simple fig jam, you will need the following ingredients:

• Fresh figs – I used black mission figs, but any variety should work.
• Brown sugar
• Lemon juice – the citric acid from the lemons serves a few purposes here. First, it helps to balance out the sweetness of the figs. Second, it activates the natural pectin of the fresh fruit, which helps the jam firm up. Lastly, adding acidity to fruit jams helps them keep their color and it makes them more shelf stable.
• Water

That’s it! Since most fruit has its own natural pectin, there is no need to add it to this recipe!

How to make fig jam

I used to have this perception of jam-making being complicated, but it really isn’t. I mean, I don’t do the whole sterilization thing because it takes a lot of time, but you really don’t need to if you’re okay with just enjoying your jam within a few weeks. And I am! Especially this fig jam. (It usually doesn’t last more than a couple days at my house!) 

Start by chopping the fresh figs. I don’t worry about chopping them too small because I use an immersion blender (affiliate link) or food processor once the jam is cooked for a smoother jam. You can also mash the fruit with a potato masher. If you don’t want to do any mashing or blending afterwards, you might want to chop the figs small so the jam isn’t too chunky. 

Step 1: Combine ingredients and macerate fruit

Combine the chopped figs, brown sugar, and water in a medium saucepan. Allow the mixture to sit in the pot at room temperature for about 15 minutes. This helps begin breaking down the figs and releasing their sugars/juices.

Step 2: Cook until thick 

Cook the jam over medium heat until boiling, reduce heat to maintain a simmer and cook until thick. The mixture should drip off the back of a spoon in heavy drops. This will take about 20 minutes. 

Remove from the heat and allow to cool for 15 minutes before using the immersion blender (affiliate link) to smooth out the jam to your liking.

Step 3: Store

Once it reaches room temperature, store the jam in an airtight container in the fridge and enjoy for up to two months. A mason jar works great for this.

What to do with fig jam

Oh, so many things! This jam is the perfect accompaniment for almost anything you can imagine. Here are just a few ideas

• Spread it on your morning toast with some salted butter
• Try it on a grilled cheese sandwich with some fancy cheese
• Scones & cream
• Biscuits w/ salted butter and jam
• Use it to flavor vanilla ice cream or yogurt
• Crackers with goat cheese (a personal fave!) or blue cheese
• A cheese board or charcuterie board 
• Peanut butter & jelly (or PB&J cookies!)
• Try making jam puff pastry tarts! And after spreading the jam on the puff pastry, you could also add a dot of goat cheese & bake to make a yummy appetizer.
• Anywhere you would normally use jam!

Additions and substitutions

This recipe is perfect as-is, but you might try adding a cinnamon stick and/or orange zest to the pot while the fruit is cooking. If you don’t have brown sugar, you can substitute regular granulated sugar or cane sugar. 

Looking for another great recipe with figs?

Tried this recipe?

If you try this recipe, please leave a star rating below and let me know how it went. I’d love to hear from you! You can also find me on Pinterest!

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