Homemade Fig Jam

It’s mid September and the current “fruit of the Season” here in Italy is figs! We have a large fig tree on our property and I have been walking past the fig tree for months eyeing the dangling figs, I reach up and squeeze one hoping it would be ripe but the waiting continued. Finally it is fig season and they are ripe and ready for harvesting.

Jeff has discovered that he loves fresh figs! There are always a few early figs that delight you before the majority are ready and as we go on walks in the olive groves in the evening we feast on the fresh ripe figs that grow among the olive trees. Jeff eats them fresh off the tree going “hmmmm” and rolling his eyes back with both cheeks stuffed with figs he mumbles “it tastes like jam!”

Well, the tree is now in full swing of ripe figs so we picked a large bowlfull and halved them and served them on a large platter at our last dinner party. Everyone can’t resist them!

You can only eat so many figs fresh so I attempted making Homemade Fig Jam, apparently figs have enough naturally occurring pectin that you don’t need to add any, like you do for other fruit like berries and peaches. I picked up a few jars and lids at the store in downtown Itri and made homemade fig jam! I can’t wait to use it this winter on a thick slice of French bread or alongside some Brie cheese on crackers.

I have also fallen in love with this Savory Fig & Feta Tart Recipe so I will continue making it with my homemade Fig Jam! I found working with figs easier than most fruit because you don’t have to peel, slice and remove seeds! Just blend and cook! Of course the canning process is a little involved, you have to get the correct jars and lids and then sterilize them and process the filled sealed jars in a boiling water bath but I love the idea of not letting my figs go to waste and eating their bounty all winter long. There is something comforting and domestic about being able to make your own food, the Homestead way!

Homemade Fig Jam

Ingredients:

3 pounds fresh figs (I prefer the purple figs because the color is prettier than the green figs)
2 cups sugar
1 lemon juiced
canning jars and lids

Instructions:

Purée the figs until smooth with a blender
Add sugar and lemon juice
Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium low and simmer for 45 minutes
Remove lid and allow to gently boil and reduce for another 15 minutes. Be sure to use a large pan because the mixture splatters
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil, submerge your canning jars and lids in the boiling water to sterilize them.
Lay the sterilized jars and lids out on a clean towel
When the fig mixture reaches 220 F it is ready to spoon into jars.
Wipe the rim of the jars clean before tightening on the lid
Place the filled jars into the pit of boiling water with two inches of water above the jars.
Boil for 10 minutes and the. Remove from the heat
Allow to cool, you should hear a popping noise when the pressure in the jars has sucked the lids down, this is how you know you have properly canned your jam. When you tap the top of the lid you should not feel it give.