Last week was the first time I have ever tried a fresh fig. Can you believe it? The only thing I knew about figs were Fig Newtons. And I definitely didn’t like those cookies. But a fresh fig, they are amazing! I think they taste like a mix between a super ripe pear and an apple with this seedy texture. They are very sweet, smooth and I love the crunch of the seeds. Those few figs I ate totally opened up inspiration in my mind for fig recipes. The first thing on my list was refrigerator fig jam. The jam will also be used in my next couple fig recipes. Perfect, huh?
I got all of my figs from Whole Foods. They were on sale for $2 a carton instead of $4 so, naturally, I had to buy 6 of them! I’m so glad I did because this week has been fig week in my kitchen.
There are multiple different varieties of figs. I am using black mission figs (that’s what they had at Whole Foods). They have this purplish-black exterior and this beautiful coral/ pink interior. Even though the outsides look really thick and fibrous, you eat the whole thing. The only part you don’t eat is the stem.
Figs are a very perishable fruit. To be honest, I didn’t know that at first and when I almost ruined some of them because I waited too long. They should be used or eaten within 2 days of purchase. The California Figs are in season from June-September, which makes sense that we saw them in the stores in August in Minnesota. I wish I could have a few fig trees in my yard here, but I will have to make due with buying them in the store now. Maybe someday? My husband used to work at a greenhouse and he wants to have a little greenhouse when we have a house, so I’ll be pining for a fig tree!
I can’t wait for you to try this jam. It is fantastic. In the recipe below I use raw honey. If you want it totally sugar-free, take out the raw honey and add an additional 1 teaspoon stevia and 3 Tablespoons more water.
This recipe makes at least 5 pints of jam (some of my figs were pretty small). I made so much because the fig season is short and I really wanted to make use of all of the figs I bought. Feel free to half or quarter this recipe if you want to make less jam.
Ingredients
6 dozen figs, about 8 cups
4 teaspoon Stevita stevia
3 cups water
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3 Tablespoons raw honey
Directions
- Start by washing all of the figs. You are going to put them in a strainer (you probably need to do two batches) and wash them under cold water
- Remove the stems with a knife or by peeling them off with your fingers
- Quarter each fig and put them in a 6 quart sauce pot
- Add the stevia, water, lemon juice and raw honey to the pot
- Turn the pot on medium-high and using a potato masher, start to breakdown the figs. This is going to take a little while because the outsides of the figs are fibrous. Keep mashing until you can’t see any quartered figs anymore. As this jam cooks they will break down more and more
- Cook on medium-high for 10 minutes stirring regularly to prevent burning
- Turn the heat to low. At this time the jam will be very red. Stir occasionally and simmer for 10 more minutes
- Take clean, sterilized pint sized mason jars and fill with the jam. Let them sit on the counter until warm and then put in the refrigerator. Jam lasts 1-2 months in the refrigerator. Feel free to freeze the jam too, and that will last 8-12 months in the freezer
- Makes 5 Pints
- Serve with cheese, on grain-free muffins, ice cream, yogurt or with granola.
The Jam when I just started mashing it
Just before the jam is done (look at the color and look at all of those seeds!)
Join Dr. Meghan's Insiders
Don't miss out on anything! Join my healthy living newsletter for encouragement right to your inbox to kickstart your health in a simplified way!
Deb says
It’s great to see a recipe for figs. This is delicious!