How to Make Home-canned Figs- Easily!
Making and canning your own 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 Making Candied figs and Other fig recipes. Also 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 should not cut off the stems or the bottom of the fig, nor peel them. You want them intact! Also, 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 - Make the syrup
Depending upon which type of sweetener you want to use (sugar, no-sugar, Splenda, mix of sugar and Splenda or fruit juice) you will need to use a different syrup from below. Adding syrup to canned fruit helps to retain its flavor, color, and shape. It does not prevent spoilage of these foods. Heat the syrup to near boiling in a pot. Most people prefer the very light syrup!
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Sugar syrup proportions for 7 to 9-pint jars of figs (double it for 9 quart jars) |
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| Type of
syrup (Choose ONE) |
Water (cups) |
Fruit juice (cups) |
Sugar (cups) |
Powdered Splenda (tm) |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Plain water | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | no calorie sweetener | 7 | 0 | 0 | 1/4 cup |
| 3 | Fruit juice (white grape or peach juice works well) | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| 4 | Reduce calorie / fruit juice | 4 | 3 | 0 | |
| 5 | Fruit juice and Splenda | 0 | 7 | 0 | 1/2 cup |
| 6 | very low calorie | 7 | 0 | 1/4 | 1/4 cup |
| 7 | very light (10% sugar) | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 8 | light (20% sugar) | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | medium (30% sugar) | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
Step 7 - Blanching
Put the figs in a large pot of
already boiling water (so all the figs
are covered with water) and boil 2 minutes. Quickly but gently remove the figs
at 2 minutes and drain.
Step 8 - Boil the figs in the syrup
Gently boil the figs in
sugar or fruit juice or other syrup for 5 minutes. Light syrup is generally
preferred for taste!
Notes:
- Nutrasweet (aspartame) will NOT work - it breaks down during heating).
- Splenda (sucralose) substitutes exactly with sugar BUT even the manufacturers of Splenda will tell you that you get best results if you just use a 50-50 mix; half regular sugar and half Splenda.
- Sugar not only affects the sweetness, but also the color and flavor. It does not affect the preserving or spoilage properties - that has to do with acid and the processing method.
- you can use "no sugar" pectin in place of "low sugar" pectin - you can still add sugar or other sweeteners.
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
Fill
jars with hot figs, gently tapping the bottom of the jar on the
countertop to help pack the figs down gently (tapping does it without
breaking the figs)
Step 11 - Fill the airspace in the jars with syrup
Add
the hot syrup (in which you heated the figs in step 8), leaving 1/4 to 1/2-inch headspace.
Wipe any spilled jam off the
top,
Step 12 - Put the lid /rings on and put in the canner
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 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 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 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:
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Summary - Cost of Making Home Canned Figs - 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 | 1 cup | $0.50 | WalMart, BigLots, Publix, Kroger |
$0.50 |
| Total | $16.00 total or about $2.30 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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