5.0 from 3 votes
French Fig Jam
An intensely fruity fig jam with only a third of sugar, thanks to the natural science of orange, high in pectin. Great with bread, brioche, croissants - and even better with cheese and pâtés.
Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Additional Time
2 hrs
Total Time
2 hrs 50 mins
Servings: 4 pots
Calories: 50 kcal
Course:
Condiments
Cuisine:
French
Ingredients
- 1 kg (2¼lb) fresh figs
- 1 orange organic only (important)
- 300 g (11oz) granulated sugar
Instructions
- Wash and dry the figs and orange. Cut off the fig stems then slice into quarters. Cut the orange in half and chop only half of it into bits, including the pith and peel.
- Place the chopped figs, sugar and orange in a large heavy-based pan or jam basin. Squeeze in the other half of the orange and leave to macerate covered for at least 2 hours (I left it for 4hours). Stir every so often to mix the juices together.
- Bubble up over medium-high heat uncovered for at least 30 minutes.
- Meanwhile, sterilise the jam jars and lids by plunging in boiling water for 10 minutes. Remove with tongs and dry on a clean towel.
- After 30 minutes the jam should be thicker (if not, continue on heat another 10 minutes). Blitz together to smooth with a hand blender (optional).
- Pour into the jars while boiling, filling to the top. Close tightly with the lid then upturn to seal.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- Variations: add a vanilla pod/bean or spices such as ginger, cinnamon or cardamom (see the fig page for flavour associations).
- Serve with bread (brioche, crêpes, crackers etc). Best with cheese (particularly with goat/sheep cheeses), Foie Gras and pâtés.
- Storage: store in a cool, dry place for up to 2 years. Once opened, keep refrigerated and consume within a month, due to its lower sugar content.
- N.B. There’s no need to use special jam-making sugar with pectin. Just regular sugar or granulated does the job well with figs and added orange, which is naturally high in pectin.
- 203 calories for ⅓ pot of jam or 50 calories per generous portion.