These old-fashioned fig preserves require just 3 ingredients — and no pectin! One of the easiest jams to make, there’s very little prep work necessary. Just simmer a pot on the stove for a couple of hours and you’ll have a few jars of beautiful, preserved fresh figs to enjoy with cheese on your next charcuterie board, to spread on biscuits, cornbread, or toast, to elevate sandwiches, or to use in baked goods like cakes.
Figs generally ripen twice a year: the first or “breba” season is typically in early June, while the second or “new wood” season generally runs from August through October. When my neighbor’s Brown Turkey figs ripened early this year (thanks to a warm winter in Virginia), she was happy to share some with us. There’s no better way to enjoy a bunch of figs than turning them into fig preserves!
Fig jam typically consists of figs, sugar, and sometimes lemon juice or zest for added flavor. On the other hand, fig preserves often contain larger pieces of figs or even whole figs, along with sugar and sometimes additional spices or flavorings.
Fig Preserves vs. Fig Jam
Fig preserves are not technically the same as fig jam, although this particular recipe yields a jar of preserves that’s quite similar to jam. In general, jam is made with mashed fruit while preserves have whole fruit or large pieces of fruit throughout.
This whole fig preserves recipe starts with the whole fruit (just the stems removed). You don’t need to chop, peel, mash, or process the figs before adding them to the pot.
As the figs cook, soften, and break down, I like to use my wooden spoon to break apart some of the larger pieces of fruit. In the end, you have a chunky fig spread that actually resembles jam more than preserves. If you prefer whole fig preserves with large chunks or the fruit intact, that’s fine…just don’t break them apart as much when you’re stirring the pot.
This is an overview of the ingredients that you’ll need for an old fashioned fig preserves recipe without pectin. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Fresh figs: I use Brown Turkey figs, but you can use Black Mission figs or just about any other fresh figs available.
- Granulated sugar: this classic Southern recipe calls for an equal amount of sugar and figs; however, you can see my note below to adjust the recipe for less sugar.
- Lemon: gives the spread a bright, acidic note that balances the sweetness of the figs and helps to make the preserves safe for shelf-stable canning.
- 3 sterilized half-pint mason jars and lids: this recipe yields enough for about 3 (8-ounce) jars of jam. I like the half-pint jars because it’s just the right amount of jam to keep in the fridge after it’s opened, but smaller 4-ounce jars are also a great option.
- A sterilized funnel: this makes it easier to get the jam inside the jar without spilling; however, it’s fine if you don’t have a funnel — you can carefully spoon the jam into the jars instead.
- Tongs: canning tongs are incredibly helpful when taking the jars in and out of the boiling water.
- Stock pot, saucepan, or Dutch oven: for cooking the preserves.
- Canner or large pot for boiling jars: this needs to be very deep so that you can cover the jars with at least 1-2 inches of water. I use my deepest stock pot for this step, since I don’t have an official canner to process the jars.
- Wooden spoon: to stir, stir, stir so that the jam doesn’t stick to the pot!
How to Sterilize Jars and Lids for Jam or Preserves
It’s a good practice to sterilize the jars and lids before canning in order to kill any bacteria, fungi or yeast. There are a variety of ways to sterilize the jars (here’s a helpful article with different options). I typically use the dishwasher, or just boil them for 10 minutes in the same big pot of water that I’ll use for processing.
Fig Preserves – The Old Fashioned Way! | Useful Knowledge
FAQ
What do you use fig preserves for?
Do you refrigerate fig preserves after opening?
Is fig preserve good?
Are Fig preserves the same as fig jam?
Fig preserves are not technically the same as fig jam, although this particular recipe yields a jar of preserves that’s quite similar to jam. In general, jam is made with mashed fruit while preserves have whole fruit or large pieces of fruit throughout. This whole fig preserves recipe starts with the whole fruit (just the stems removed).
Can one use Stevia to make fig preserves?
To make fig preserves, you should use sugar and avoid sweeteners since sugar will help keep the food over time. I would not recommend stevia.
What is fig jam?
Fig jam is a perfect way to preserve a surfeit of this seductive fruit. The added touch here, beyond the fruit, sugar and lemon juice, is the small amount of balsamic vinegar, which intensifies the sometimes elusive flavor of the figs. This jam is wonderful stirred into plain yogurt. Learn: How to Make Jam
Can you make Fig preserves from a jar?
There’s no better way to enjoy a bunch of figs than turning them into fig preserves! This is a standard, old-fashioned fig preserves recipe, which includes equal amounts of both figs and sugar. It’s easy to scale up or down, depending on how many figs you have, or how many jars you plan to make.