One of my very favorite quick appetizers to have on hand is fig jam, brie, and crostinis! It’s something youcan whip together at moment’s notice for last-minute entertaining. It all starts with my grandfather’s Southern fig jam recipe!
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Growing up, I have so many memories picking figs off my grandparent’s fig tree in South Carolina. My grandfather could make this fig jam in his sleep, and we always left their house with jars and jars of fig jam every summer.
My grandfather taught my Mom and she taught me, and it’s about time I share my family’s homemade fig jam recipe with you! Right?
This recipe is a delicious combination of figs, sugar, thinly sliced lemon and Grand Marnier (the magic touch in this recipe). The result is a sweet, spreadable jam that’s absolutely delicious – even non-fig lovers will find themselves enjoying it!
It’s the best treat to have on hand for easy appetizers. Pair the jam with brie on mini toasts for an easy hors d’oeuvre. My husband and I will often pair this with wine and grilled vegetables for a full dinner. Just bake your brie on a baking sheet until warm, and serve alongside the fig jam and toast or crostini.
Try my Baked Brie Bites with this fig jam recipe!
How to Make Southern Fig Jam
First off, you’ll want to wash your figs in cold water and drain. Then, cut the stems off and slice in half. Place them in a large heavy saucepan and cover with sugar. Let them stand overnight.
On the second day, you thinly slice your lemon and remove seeds. Add these slices to the fig pan and cover medium heat until it starts to bubble! Be sure to stir often. After it begins bubbling, reduce heat to low and simmer for 1 hour. It’s worth the wait!
Remove from the stove and cool. Then puree in a blender. Add the Grand Marnier and stir until blended. Pour the fig jam into sterilized jars with tops. I love these cute tulip jam jars! Refrigerate until needed, maximum two weeks.
Hint: To sterilize a jar, boil a clean jar upright in a large pot of water for 15 minutes.
I hope you can see that making fig jam is really easy, no fancy equipment needed!
My Favorite Ways to Serve Fig Jam
Alongside brie and crostini, on charcuterie boards, etc.
Served warm over ice cream or pound cake.
On toast for a quick breakfast.
Alongside lamb or pork
Spread on sandwiches or flatbreads
Keep in mind you can warm fig jam and it will turn into a more pourable “sauce” that’s perfect for using as a glaze over meats or drizzled over dishes.
I hope you love this fig jam as much as my family has for generations! The full recipe is posted below.
What cheeses pair well with Fig Jam?
Brie
Goat Cheese
Camembert
Can I reduce the sugar?
You can! Or you can use a sugar substitute. In our family, we’ve found this recipe to be the perfect balance of sweetness and fig flavor, but you can certainly cut back on the sugar.
Fig Jam
Author: Courtney Whitmore
My family’s fig jam recipe, perfect for serving with brie and crostini!
SERVINGS 40tablespoons
Print Rate Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutesmins
Cook Time 1 hourhr30 minutesmins
Total Time 1 hourhr45 minutesmins
Ingredients
2cupsfigs - stems removed and sliced in half
2cupssugar
1lemon - thinly sliced and seeds removed
¼cupGrand Marnier - orange liqueur
Instructions
First Day: Wash figs in cold water and drain. Cut stems off and cut figs in half
Place the figs in a large saucepan, and cover with sugar. Let figs stand overnight.
Second Day: Thinly slice the lemon and remove seeds. Add the slices to the fig pan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Stir often.
After it begins to boil, reduce the heat to low, and simmer for 1 hour, continuing to stir.
Remove from the stove and allow to cool to room temperature.
Add the fig mixture to the blender and blend until pureed.
Add the Grand Marnier and stir until blended. Pour the fig jam into sterilized jars with tops and refrigerate.
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.
Sprinkle the baking soda over the figs; cover with the 12 cups of boiling water. Soak for 45 minutes to 1 hour. This helps remove any latex from the skin of any slightly under-ripe figs.
Apricot Jam. Let's begin our journey with our apricot jam. ...
Peach Jam. GOOD GOOD's peach jam is a celebration of that juicy, orchard-fresh taste of peaches, made with 60% whole fruit and a dash of passion fruit for that extra tropical zing. ...
Fresh figs are usually eaten raw. They taste best eaten straight off the tree, ideally still warm from the sun. The entire fig is edible, from the thin skin to the red or purplish flesh and the myriad tiny seeds, but they can be peeled if you wish.
Having fulfilled her life's mission the female wasp dies inside the fig. The eggs become grubs that grow inside the seeds. After completing their full development in a few weeks they emerge from inside the seeds. The males emerge first and start looking for females to mate with.
Eating soaked figs in the morning may help in getting rid of constipation. This is because figs are rich in both soluble and insoluble fibre, which help in improving bowel movement. This will also keep your digestive system healthy.
Soak some figs overnight and reap the benefits! Dried Anjeer or figs are sweet in flavour and have a leather-like texture. These are soft and chewy to eat. Figs contain no fat and no cholesterol.
Some people have reservations about using pectin, but it's incredibly helpful, especially for someone new to the process. It's totally possible to make jams and jellies without using store-bought pectin, but it's much harder to get the right consistency and it takes longer, too.
Fresh, ripe figs are best for making fig preserves. This includes mild green figs or black mission figs, which offer slightly different flavor profiles. Look for figs that are ripe but somewhat firm and not mushy.
For most people, figs are a nutritious and delicious treat. However, if you're on blood-thinning medications, be careful to consume figs in moderation because they're rich in vitamin K, which can interfere with your prescription.
The General Guideline: On average, 2-4 figs per day can be a sweet spot for most people, balancing taste and nutritional benefits. Your Personal Needs: Your individual needs, health condition, and lifestyle can affect the ideal amount of figs for you.
The best way to enjoy figs is raw, with the skin and seeds intact. You can also remove the peels and scoop out the seeds, if you like, or cook figs by baking, broiling or grilling them. But, the quickest and easiest way to enjoy these gems is by removing the stem and taking a bite right out of the raw fig.
Preserves are the closest thing to consuming whole fruit. They contain chunks of the actual fruit, making them richer in fiber and nutrients. As with jam, though, the sugar content can vary based on the brand or recipe. In terms of health benefits, preserves generally come out on top due to their whole fruit content.
Combine with rosemary and balsamic vinegar and use as a glaze for chicken, pork, or kebabs. Swirl into a cheesecake batter for a fig cheesecake. Spread it on toast, English muffins, or biscuits instead of jelly. Mix with softened cream cheese as a crepe filling.
Jam: Jam is made with mashed fruit.Preserves: Preserves have whole fruit or large pieces of fruit. Some fruits such as blackberries or raspberries will not stay whole during the processing so there may not be much difference between raspberry jam and raspberry preserve.
Fruit preserves are a lot like jam, but they're slightly thicker, thanks to the addition of large chunks or whole pieces of fruit instead of chopped, crushed, or puréed fruit. You'll usually find large bits of fruit suspended in preserves, as well as seeds, in many cases.
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