Last week, I visited a friend who lives just around the corner to have a look at her garden. While there I spotted a fig tree absolutely heaving with rich, ripe fruit. I asked if I could have some to make jam, and came away with over 3kg’s worth! It was one of those occasions when a simple visit unexpectedly turns into a very productive and enjoyable afternoon in the kitchen.
There’s something especially satisfying about turning a bowlful of ripe figs into jam. Their soft, honeyed sweetness needs very little embellishment, but a little lemon juice and balsamic vinegar bring balance and depth of flavour, stopping the finished jam from becoming overly sweet.
The fig jam with balsamic vinegar recipe that I’ve used has been adapted from one that I found on the NY Times Cooking website. I’ve tweaked their small-batch recipe scaling it up to an easy, round 1 kilogram.
The ripe figs make a wonderfully unctuous, jewel-coloured jam with plenty of texture from the tiny fig seeds.
A generous spoonful spread over hot buttered toast is hard to beat, especially when the toast is still warm enough for the butter to start melting into the jam. It’s also delicious spooned over thick Greek yoghurt for an easy breakfast or dessert. If you’re putting together a cheese board, fig jam is practically made for it — particularly alongside mature cheddar, blue cheese or a creamy, soft cheese. The sweetness of the figs and the acidity of the balsamic make a lovely counterpoint to salty, savoury cheeses.
And don’t stop there. It’s also brilliant used in cakes and pastries, spread between layers of sponge, enveloped inside a tart or pastry case, or a dollop simply served alongside a slice of cake. Once you have a jar in the fridge, you’ll probably find yourself looking for excuses to use it.
Huge thanks to my friend, Helena for the very generous fig haul – and for inadvertently giving me the perfect excuse to spend an afternoon making jam!
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Fig jam with balsamic vinegar
Equipment
- A large stainless-steel or enamelled saucepan
- A heatproof rubber spatula
- A skimmer or fine slotted spoon
- A small plate
- Sterilised jars or heatproof, airtight containers
Ingredients
- 1 kg ripe fresh figs cut into small dice
- 800 g granulated sugar divided
- 6 tablespoons fresh, strained lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Wash the figs gently and remove the stalks. Cut them into small dice. There’s no need to peel them; the skins soften during cooking and add lovely colour and texture to the jam.
- Put the chopped figs into a large bowl and add 400g of the sugar. Toss everything together, cover the bowl with cling film, and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Cooking the jam
- Transfer the figs and sugar to a large stainless-steel or enamelled saucepan. Choose a pan that isn’t more than twice the volume of the fruit mixture; a smaller pan helps the jam cook evenly.
- Place the pan over a medium heat and bring the figs to the boil, stirring regularly with a heatproof spatula. Once boiling, scrape the mixture back into the bowl and cover it again with cling film.
- Allow it to cool, then refrigerate overnight. This resting time helps the sugar draw out the figs’ juices and gives the fruit a deeper, more developed flavour.
- The following day, scrape the fig mixture back into the saucepan. Have a skimmer and a bowl of water ready, and place a small plate in the refrigerator to chill.
- Bring the fruit back to the boil over a medium heat, stirring often. Once boiling, add the remaining 400g sugar, along with the lemon juice and balsamic vinegar.
- Continue boiling for 15–20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the jam has thickened but is still soft and spreadable. If any foam rises to the surface, skim it off, dipping the skimmer into the bowl of water to clean it as you go.
Testing the jam
- To check whether the jam is ready, remove the chilled plate from the refrigerator and place a spoonful of jam on it. Leave it for about 20 seconds, then tilt the plate.
- The jam should move only slightly and slowly. If it runs quickly, return the pan to the heat and boil the jam for another minute or two before testing again.
- Transfer the hot jam to sterilised jars, screwing on the lids tightly while still quite hot
Once you crack open a jar, keep the jam in the fridge. It's particularly good with mature cheese, blue cheese, roast meats, toast, porridge or a simple sponge cake.