How to make Fig Jam - easily! With step by step photos, recipe ingredients and costs

Figs - fresh figs - about 2 dozen large figs like Brown Turkey or 40 smaller ones, like Celeste - in either case, in total, about 5 lbs makes 7 jars (8 ounces each) of jam.
Lemon juice - either fresh squeezed or bottled. 1/4 cup.
Water - 1/2 cup
Cinnamon - 1/4 teaspoon - optional!
Pectin (it's a natural product, made from apples and available at grocery stores (season - spring through late summer) and in Wal-mart, grocery stores, etc. It usually goes for about $2.00 to $2.50 per box.See here for more information about how to choose the type of pectin to use.
Sugar - About 4.5 cups of dry, granulated (table) sugar. It is possible to make low-sugar, fruit juice-sweetened, or Splenda-sweetened fig jam; I'll point out the differences below.
Jar grabber (to pick up the hot jars)- WalMart carries it sometimes - or order it here. It's a tremendously useful to put cars in the canner and take the hot jars out (without scalding yourself!). The kit sold below has everything you need, and at a pretty good price:

1 large pot; I prefer 16 to 20 quart Teflon lined pots for easy cleanup.
Large spoons and ladles
1 Canner (a huge pot to sterilize the jars after filling (about $30 to $35 at mall kitchen stores, sometimes at WalMart (seasonal item). Note: we sell canners and supplies here, too - at excellent prices - and it helps support this web site!
Ball jars (Publix, WalMart carry then - about $7 per dozen 8 ounce jars including the lids and rings)
Jar funnel ($2 at WalMart, Target, and sometimes at grocery stores) or order it as part of the kit with the jar grabber.
Lids - thin, flat, round metal lids with a gum binder that seals them against the top of the jar. They may only be used once.
Rings - metal bands that secure the lids to the jars. They may be reused many times.

Optional stuff:

Foley Food Mill ($25) - not necessary; useful if you want to remove seeds (from blackberries) or make applesauce.
Lid lifter (has a magnet to pick the lids out of the boiling water where you sterilize them. ($2 at WalMart or it comes in the kit at left)

Fig Jam-making Directions

This example shows you how to make fig jam; regular or with added seasoning. The yield from this recipe is about 7 eight-ounce jars (which is the same as 3.5 pints).

Step 1 - Pick the figs! (or buy them already picked)

To pick your own, here is a list and links to the pick your own farms. just select your area!

Step 2 - How much fruit?

Jam can ONLY be made in rather small batches - up to about 6 cups at a time - like the directions on the pectin say, DO NOT increase the recipes or the jam won't "set" (jell, thicken). It takes about 5 lbs or roughly 2 dozen medium to large figs to make 1 batch of fig jam, yielding 7 jars, each 8 ounces in size.

Step 3 - Wash the jars and lids

Now's a good time to get the jars ready, so you won't be rushed later. The dishwasher is fine for the jars, the water bath processing will sterilize them as well as the contents! If you don't have a dishwasher, you can wash the containers in hot, soapy water and rinse, then sterilize the jars by boiling them 10 minutes, and keep the jars in hot water until they are used.

NOTE: If unsterilized jars are used, the product should be processed for 5 more minutes. However, since this additional processing can result in a poor set (runny jam), it’s better to sterilized the jars.

Put the lids into a pan of hot, but not quite boiling water (that's what the manufacturer's recommend) for 5 minutes, and use the magnetic "lid lifter wand" to pull them out.

Leave the jars in the dishwasher on "heated dry" until you are ready to use them. Keeping them hot will prevent the jars from breaking when you fill them with the hot jam. Some newer dishwashers even have a "sterilize" setting.

Step 4 - Get the lids sterilizing

Lids: put the lids into a pan of boiling water (or on the stove in a pot of water on low heat) for at least several minutes; to soften up the gummed surface and clean and sterilize the lids.

Step 5 -Wash and cut up the figs!

You need to cut off the stems and the bottom of the fig, but you do not need to peel them - you CAN peel them if you want to. I only peel the grody* looking ones (example photo below)

(* knarly, gross, yucky)

At left, sample figs with unappealing peels (skins). If the skin looks fine, I chop it up, but if the skins are tough, think or unappealing like these...

At left is a sample slice of a perfectly ripe but not over-ripe fig. It depends on the variety, but generally, they should be pink/yellowish and not brown inside....

Some recipes call for the figs to sit in boiling water for 5 to 15 minutes to "check or tenderize the skins. Since the skins have no flavor, I'd rather remove them if they are thick or tough... otherwise, just chop them up along with the rest of the fig.

You'll need 4 to 5 cups (maximum 5 cups) . You can chop them up more, if you like, but I find they soften and break up during cooking, and if I want smaller pieces,

I just use a sharp-edged plastic potato masher (shown at right) to mush them while cooking)

Step 6 - Measure out the sweetener

Depending upon which type of jam you're making (sugar, no-sugar, Splenda, mix of sugar and Splenda or fruit juice) you will need to use a different amount of sugar and type of pectin. The precise measurements are found in each and every box of pectin sold.

Type of jam	Type of pectin to buy	Sweetener
regular	regular	7 cups of sugar
low sugar	low-sugar or no-sugar	4.5 cups of sugar
lower sugar	low-sugar or no-sugar	2 cups sugar and 2 cups of Splenda
no sugar	no-sugar	4 cups of Splenda
natural	no-sugar	3 cups fruit juice (grape, peach, apple or mixed)

Mix the dry pectin with about 1/4 cup of sugar or other sweetener and keep this separate from the rest of the sugar.

Step 7 - Mix the figs with the pectin and bring to a full boil

Mix the figs (4 to 5 cups), pectin (1 packet), water (1/2 cup) and lemon juice (1/4 cup) in the pot on the stove and get it cooking.

Notes about pectin: I usually add about 20% more pectin (just open another pack and add a little) or else the jam is runnier than I like. With a little practice, you'll find out exactly how much pectin to get the thickness you like.

Step 8 - Add the remaining sugar and bring to a boil

When the fig mix has reached a full boil, add the rest of the sugar and then bring it back to a boil and boil hard for 1 minute.

Step 9 - Skim any excessive foam

Foam... What is it? Just jam with a lot of air from the boiling.

But it tastes more like, well, foam, that jam, so most people remove it. It is harmless, though. Some people add 1 teaspoon of butter or margarine to the mix in step 6 to reduce foaming, but food experts debate whether that may contribute to earlier spoilage, so I usually omit it and skim.

Step 10 - Testing for "jell" (thickness)

I keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. If it thickens up to the consistency I like, then I know the jam is ready. If not, I mix in a little more pectin (about 1/s to 1/2 of another package) and bring it to a boil again for 1 minute. Get a few jars out of the dishwasher (still hot) and get your funnel, lid lifter and ladle ready. I put an old towel down - it makes cleanupo easier.

Step 11 - Let stand for 5 minutes and stir completely.

Why? Otherwise, the fruit will often float to the top of the jar. This isn't a particular problem; you can always stir the jars later when you open them; but some people get fussy about everything being "just so", so I've included this step! Skipping this step won't affect the quality of the jam at all.

Step 12 - Fill the jars and put the lid and rings on

Fill them to within 1/4 inch of the top, wipe any spilled jam off the top, seat the lid and tighten the ring around them.

Step 13 - Process the jars in the boiling water bath

Keep the jars covered with at least 1 inch of water. Keep the water boiling. In general, boil them for 5 minutes. I say "in general" because you have to process (boil) them longer at higher altitudes than sea level, or if you use larger jars, or if you did not

sterilize the jars and lids right before using them. The directions inside every box of pectin will tell you exactly. The directions on the pectin tend to be pretty conservative. Clemson University says you only need to process them for 5 minutes. I usually hedge my bets and start pulling them out after 7 minutes, and the last jars were probably in for 10. I rarely have a jar spoil, so it must work.

Note: Some people don't even boil the jars; they just ladle it hot into hot jars, but putting the jars in the boiling water bath REALLY helps to reduce spoilage! To me, it makes little sense to put all the working into making the jam and then not to process the jars to be sure they don't spoil!

Step 14 - Remove and cool the jars - Done!

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a draft-free place (usually takes overnight) You can then remove the rings if you like.

Once cooled, they're ready to store. I find they last about 18 months. After that, the get darker in color and start to get runny. They still seem safe to eat, but the flavor is bland. So eat them in the first 12 to 18 months after you prepare them!

Other Equipment:

From left to right:

Jar lifting tongs
to pick up hot jars
Lid lifter
- to remove lids from the pot
of boiling water (sterilizing )
Lid
- disposable - you may only
use them once
Ring
- holds the lids on the jar until after
the jars cool - then you don't need them
Canning jar funnel
- to fill the jars

You can get all of the tools in a kit here:

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Features:

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This is the same type of standard canner that my grandmother used to make everything from applesauce to jams and jellies to tomato and spaghetti sauce!. This complete kit includes everything you need and lasts for years: the canner, jar rack, jar grabber tongs, lid lifting wand, a plastic funnel, labels, bubble freer, and the bible of canning, the Ball Blue Book. It's much cheaper than buying the items separately. You'll never need anything else except jars and lids (and the jars are reusable). To see more canners, of different styles, makes and prices, click here!

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Summary - Cost of Making Homemade Fig Jam - makes 7 jars, 8 oz each**
Item	Quantity	Cost in 2006	Source	Subtotal
Figs	5 lbs (about 1 gallon)	$8.00/gallon	Pick your own	$8.00
Canning jars (8 oz size), includes lids and rings	7 jars	$7.00/dozen	WalMart, BigLots, Publix, Kroger	$4.00
Sugar	4.5 cups	$1.25	WalMart, BigLots, Publix, Kroger	$1.25
Pectin (low sugar, dry)	1 and a third boxes *	$1.67 per box in 2005 at Wal-Mart	WalMart, BigLots, Publix, Kroger	$2.00
Total				$15.25 total or about $2.18 per jar
* - This assumes you already have the pots, pans, ladles, and reusable equipment. Note that you can reuse the jars! If you already have jars or reuse them, just buy new lids (the rings are reusable, but the flat lids are not)!

How to Make Homemade Fig Jam - Easily!

Ingredients and Equipment