How to Make Candied Figs- Easily!
Making and canning your own candied figs is also quite easy. Here's how to make it, in 12 easy steps and completely illustrated. These directions work equally well for regular sugar, low sugar, fruit juice-sweetened and Splenda-sweetened jam.For more information about figs, see Fig Picking Tips. See How to Make Homemade Fig Preserves and Fig Jam and How to Can Figs and Other fig recipes. See this page for Blueberry Jam directions, and for strawberry, blackberry, raspberry, peach, etc., and other types of jam, see this jam-making page!
For easy applesauce or apple butter directions, click on these links.
Ingredients and Equipment
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Optional stuff:
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Fig Canning Directions
This example shows you how to make canned (or bottled) jam; regular or with added seasoning. The yield from this recipe is about 7 pint jars.
Step 1 - Pick the figs! (or buy them already
picked)
It's fun to go pick your own and you can obviously get better quality ones!
At right is a picture I took of figs from my own tree - these are a variety called Celeste - see this page for more information on various types of figs, how to select the variety and how to pick them!
To pick your own, here is a list and links to the pick your own farms. just select your area!
FYI, Figs are REALLY easy to grow and also make an attractive landscaping tree!
Step 2 - How much fruit?
It depends upon how much you want to make. I generally use pint jars for canned figs. An average of 11 pounds is needed per canner load of 9 pints. That's about 4 dozen medium to large figs.
If you are using quart jars, an average of 16 pounds is needed per canner load of 7 quarts; An average of 2-1/2 pounds yields 1 quart of canned figs.
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.
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Step 5 -Wash the figs!
I'm sure you can figure out how to gently wash the fruit in plain cold water.
You need to cut off the stems and the bottom of the fig, but you should not need to peel them. Don't use overripe or nasty looking ones (example photo below)
At left, sample figs with unappealing peels (skins).
At right 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....
Step 6 - Prepare the Crock-Pot
To a crockpot (13 quarts or larger), add 1/2 cup of water and a little sugar - just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Diabetics: You can use Splenda instead. Note: You can use a regular pot instead of a crockpot... if you want to stand there stirring it for hours.... Me, I'll use a crock-pot and multi-task.
Step 7 - Add the figs
Then begin layering figs (whole) and 8 pounds of sugar - alternating the two (again, those on sugar-restricted diets can substitute Splenda/sucralose). I believe you could also use a naturally sweet fruit juice, like white grape juice, but I haven't tried it yet.
The pot should be full and sugar should be the last layer.
Step 8 - Cook the figs
Allow them to cook on medium heat (5 or 6 setting on electric stove) until the syrup will not run "fast" off the spoon when cool. The syrup should just drip slowly off the spoon. Foam will have turned from white to light brown. You can remove the foam, but that's just to make it look prettier in the jars. It won't hurt the flavor or canning process.
How long will it take? That depends If the figs are juicy, as they will be if they were picked after a rain, it may take 10 hours, otherwise, just 8 hours.
Keep the extra syrup in the fridge - it's just too good to wash down the drain! Gently boil the figs in syrup for 5 minutes.
Step 9 - Add the natural preservative
Add 2 tablespoons bottled lemon juice per quart jar or 1 tablespoon per pint jar to each of the jars. Alternatively, you may add 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (also goes under the brand name "fruit fresh") per quart or 1/4 teaspoon per pint to the jars. This is to increase the acidity and help prevent discoloration and spoilage.
Step 10 - Fill the jars
with figs and syrup, put the lid /rings on and put in the
canner
Fill jars with hot figs and cooking syrup, leaving 1/2-inch headspace. 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.
This is where the jar tongs and lid lifter come in really handy! Place them into the canner.
Step 11 - 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 45 minutes at sea level. 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.
To adjust, process according to the recommendations in the table below:
| Table 1. Recommended process time for Figs in a boiling-water canner. | ||||
| Process Time at Altitudes of | ||||
| Jar Size | 0 - 1,000 ft | 1,001 - 3,000 ft | 3,001 - 6,000 ft | Above 6,000 ft |
| Pints | 45 min | 50 | 55 | 60 |
| Quarts | 50 | 55 | 60 | 65 |
Step 12 - 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:
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Canning booksCanning & Preserving for Dummies
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Summary - Cost of Making Homemade Fig Jam - makes 7 pint jars, 16 oz each** |
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| Item | Quantity | Cost in 2006 | Source | Subtotal |
| Figs | 11 lbs (about 2 gallon, or 4 dozen large figs) | $8.00/gallon | Pick your own | $8.00 |
| Canning jars (8 oz size), includes lids and rings | 7 jars | $7.50/dozen | WalMart, BigLots, Publix, Kroger |
$7.50 |
| Sugar | 4.5 cups | $1.25 | WalMart, BigLots, Publix, Kroger |
$1.25 |
| Total | $16.75 total or about $2.40 per pint jar |
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* - 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)! |
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Answers to Common Questions
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