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If you can cut up some dried figs and add sugar, balsamic vinegar, water and lemon juice then bring it all to a boil, you can make this delicious balsamic fig jam! That's all there is to it! And check out the post (below) for a zillion ways to use it!
Want holiday entertaining to be a breeze this year? We're sharing the perfect way to get that started. Make a batch of this easy (super easy) Balsamic Fig Jam and you'll have the appetizer course all wrapped up before the season even gets close! You can freeze it now for easy entertaining later. You'll also find lots of other ways to use it for entertaining, as well as for everyday cooking.
Yes, you read right, this recipe uses dried figs. What's so great about that? Well, since you asked, there are several wonderful benefits to being able to use dried figs for this jam. First, you can make this jam any time of year, not just during the short and fleeting fig season (generally August through October, but I don't find them easily once September rolls around).
Another advantage is that you can keep a supply of shelf-stable, dried figs in your pantry. That means that anytime you get a fancy for fig jam, you've got everything you need to make a batch - in less right around 30 minutes!
What's in this Balsamic Fig Jam?
Other than the dried figs, you probably have everything else you need to make this jam. Figs, sugar, balsamic vinegar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice make up the short ingredient list. You'll also need a medium-large pot and a blender, either an immersion (aka stick blender) or a regular blender will work.
Can you can this jam using a hot water bath to make it shelf stable?
You definitely can, although I don't go through all that. I just keep what I want in the refrigerator (good there for up to two weeks) and pop the extra jars in the freezer for longer storage.
What type of dried figs should I use for making this jam?
The most common varieties of dried figs are Black Mission, Calimyrna, and Smyrna (also called Turkish figs). The good news is that they'll all work for this Balsamic Fig Jam. I picked up a large bag of Smyrna figs at Costco last time I was there. They were fabulous for this recipe, but I've also used Mission and Calimyrna with excellent success.
How to use Balsamic Fig Jam
There are so many delicious ways to use this jam. I know once you get used to having a stash of this in the refrigerator, freezer or pantry, you'll come up with lots of your own ideas. Here are a few to get you going:
- Serve as pictured above on a cheeseboard. We love it with a smoky cheddar or Gouda, creamy goat cheese, Manchego, Roquefort, Blue or Gorgonzola. Grapes, apples, pears and a handful of nuts like these Easy Candied Pecans or these Sweet and Spicy Roasted Almonds all pair nicely with this jam.
- Use it as a topping for baked brie.
- Layer this jam with cheese in a grilled sandwich with turkey, ham, thinly sliced pork or smoked chicken.
- Mix it in yogurt. Add sliced bananas and some toasted pecans, delish!
- Heat it up and drizzle it over ice cream.
- Serve it with yogurt instead of honey or jam.
- Use it as a base for pizza or flatbread.
- Use it as a delicious glaze for pork and chicken.
- Roast some veggies with olive oil and a spoonful of this balsamic fig jam... so good!
- Make a vinaigrette with it.
- Use it as filling between cake layers.
- Make a simple appetizer by spreading goat cheese on little bread toasts and topping each with a slice of prosciutto and a dollop of this Balsamic Fig Jam.
See what I mean? You need this delicious jam in your life! If you 45 minutes to spare you can make a batch, start to finish! Your family, friends, neighbors, (and self) will be thanking you!
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Café Tips for making this Balsamic Fig Jam
- This jam has to simmer for 20-25 minutes. When jam simmers there's the tendency for little bits of it to splash out of the pan, so I like to use a fairly large pot to prevent a mess.
- Figs can be sticky so I like to spray my knife with a bit of cooking spray or rub it with a little oil when chopping up my figs.
- This recipe is easily doubled. It may take a few extra minutes of cooking to achieve the desired thickness.
- Jars of this Balsamic Fig Jam make lovely gifts for friends, neighbors, teachers, hairdressers, postmen, etc. Pair it with a nice box of crackers, a wedge of cheese and a bottle of wine for the best-ever hostess gift!
- If you give this jam as a gift be sure to tell your giftee that it should be stored in the refrigerator or freezer, for longer storage. If you decide to use the water bath method (below in Tips) it will be shelf-stable.
- I made two types of labels for my jam (shown in the pictures below). Both of them can be printed on white cardstock. One you can punch holes in and tie onto the jar with string. The other is the perfect size to slip under the lid of a 4 or 8-ounce mason jar. If you'd like a PDF of either of these labels for gift-giving, just leave me a comment below and I'll email them to you. The label on the smaller jars is 1½ inches and the one on the mason jar is 2 inches in diameter.
The 1½-inch labels are shown on the left and the 2-inch on the right. Let me know which one you'd like (or both) and I'll send them along with instructions.
- I love these classy Weck Jars for gifting jams and jellies. I also found these fun 8-ounce jelly jars which make really pretty gifts too.
- This jam makes a wonderful addition to a cheeseboard. Check out this post for tips and tricks on how to make a beautiful cheeseboard.
- As mentioned above, this jam can be preserved in a hot water bath to make it shelf-stable. This is a great post on canning with a hot water bath.
P.S. See the cheeseboard above in the post? There's a little white bowl that is filled with Maple Mustard Candied Bacon. Stay tuned for this recipe - oh my, it's AMAZING!
If you enjoyed this recipe, please come back and leave a star rating and review! It’s so helpful to other readers to hear other’s results and ideas for variations.
- 12 ounces dried figs stems removed
- 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 cups water
- 1 ½ teaspoons fresh lemon juice
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Chop each fig into 4-6 pieces. Wash enough jars (to hold 24-ounces of jam) in hot soapy water and rinse well. Set aside.
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Combine figs, sugar, water, balsamic vinegar and lemon juice in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat.
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Bring to a boil then reduce to a steady, rolling simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
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Pulse/blend the jam with an immersion (or regular) blender until large pieces are gone but the jam still has a bit of texture. (Use the pulse setting if using a regular blender.)
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Cook for another 5-10 minutes until the jam is thickened to the desired state. (It will get a bit thicker as it cools).
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Taste the jam. If you would like it a bit tangier, add an extra tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar.
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Transfer to jars with tight-fitting lids. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 2-3 months.
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If you end up cooking the jam too long and it's too thick, it's super easy to remedy. Just add water, a few tablespoons at a time, stirring well after each addition, until it's the desired consistency.
See Café Tips above in the post for further instructions and more detailed tips.
This recipe yields 24 ounces or 4 6-ounce jars of jam.
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Louise Helland says
I am going to try this with the figs from my neighbors tree. May I please have the label PDF?
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! The labels have been sent, Louise. Enjoy the jam!
Kay says
Thank you! I’ve been gifted with a lot of fresh figs and am going to try your ideas - love the concept of adding in the balsamic. I’ve never cooked or canned with figs so wish me luck! Can I also get your pdf?
Many thanks! Kay
Chris Scheuer says
Lucky you! Just sent the label, enjoy!
Henry says
I made the jam and used it on a pizza with gorgonzola cheese and prosciutto. Delicious!!!
Please send the PDF for both labels
Maureen says
Easy & delicious! Thanks for sharing
Maureen
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Maureen!
Melissa Phillips says
I just finished making the jam with half the sugar. It tastes good to me as I prefer savory to sweet. It thickened up well. Please send the labels. Thanks.
Chris Scheuer says
That's great Melissa! The labels should be in your email!
Betty says
Thank you for posting so many wonderful recipes. I love the jam and jelly recipes and look forward to making many of them for gifts and personal enjoyment. I would love a full collection of the labels you offer for all the jams and jellies if possible. Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Betty!
Barbara says
May I please have the PDF for the labels.
Thank you.
Barbara
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Barbara! They're on the way!
Barbara says
May I please have the PDF for the labels.
Thank you.
Thank you so much.
Barbara
Cynthia says
Please, I would like the PDF copy of the labels. Wonderful recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Cynthia, I'll send them now!
John Rutherford says
Made a batch of the fig balsamic jam last Friday. Served it at brunch on Sunday. HUGE hit! So now I’m planning to make a double batch for gifts. Could I get the label templates please?
Chris Scheuer says
That's so awesome, John! Thanks for sharing your results 💕 I'll be happy to send the labels!
Linda Falkenstien says
I'm so excited to make this jam! My neighbor has a mission fig tree and they are just starting to ripen.
I want to try using your recipe and I've read your thoughts on using fresh figs.
Please send the label PDF.
Thank you SO much!!
Chris Scheuer says
Lucky you! I'll send the labels now, Linda!
Katherine Jacob says
I wrote a Note to say how much I loved this fig jam recipe, but I don't see it posted. I only mention it because I left my name and address and asked if you would please send the PDF for these beautiful labels. Thank you so very much for this delicious fig jam recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Katherine, sorry, I got a bit behind with answering my comments. The labels should be in your email now 💕
Sean patric says
Hello was wondering if the ratio would be the same using fresh figs , thank you Sean
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sean, I haven't tried this recipe with fresh figs. I think you would need more but I can't say exactly how much more without further testing.
Sandra says
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I’m excited to try it with fresh figs from my tree I just picked.
I definitely would love to have the labels too!
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! I'll send them now, Sandra. I haven't tried this recipe with fresh figs. Let us know how it comes out!
KP Jacob says
I absolutely love ANY recipe that includes figs. I tried this recipe using dried figs. It certainly exceeded my expectations! THANK YOU for a wonderfully delicious recipe! Please, will you email me the PDF labels so I may decorate my jars before giving a few of them for gifts? Thank you sooo very much! My name and email are listed below. I would also be most thankful if you include the recipe for the delicious-looking Maple Mustard Candied Bacon. Thanks again.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi KP, I'm so happy that you have enjoyed this recipe. I'll be happy to send you the labels!
Sandy Cofer says
I absolutely love the fig jam recipe. Thank you for sharing it as well as your labels. I would love a copy of the label PDFs as I plan to make more jam for gifts! Your blog is truly amazing and I look forward to trying more recipes.
Sandy
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you, Sandy! I really appreciate your kind words. I'll send you the labels now!
Linda Starr says
I’ve just finished making fresh fig jam and was wondering about dried figs, this looks amazing!!! Would you please send me the labels too? Both sizes
Chris Scheuer says
Sure, I'll send them now, Linda!
Brenda Miguel says
Hi Chris,
I would love to have the pdf labels.
They will look so good on my fig jam jars!
Brenda
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Brenda, I'll be happy to send them!
Marilee Davis says
I have a tree loaded with figs! How can I modify your balsamic fig jam recipe for fresh figs?
Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marilee, I haven't tried this recipe with fresh figs and would need to do a lot more testing to say for sure. If I were you, I would follow this recipe:https://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1018270-fig-jam
You could still use my labels. Just let me know if you want them!
Jean says
How very kind and generous of you to offer the .pdf for the fig jam jars. I’m making more of your wonderful jam in the morning and sharing with my neighbors so would appreciate the jar labels.
Chris Scheuer says
I'll send them now, Jean. I know your neighbors will be delighted!
Colleen says
Just got back from Costco with the figs and found this recipe. I'd love both labels in PDF form please as I make jams as Christmas presents. Your recipe is perfect as well as your recipes for Queen's jam (love anything blueberry, raspberry or blackberry) - Peach looks great too! Thank you in advance for the labels
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! I'll send them now Colleen. You should have the other labels in your email too!
Ian Stewart says
Hi, Chris. Thanks for this recipe. May I please have the label PDF? I haven't made the jam yet, but I love fig jam per se, so I imagine that this will be great -- and so easy to make.
Cheers, Ian
Chris Scheuer says
Sure! I'll send it now, Ian! Enjoy!
Dawn Trickett says
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! I am headed to the kitchen now to make some.
could you please send me the PDF of the labels.
Blessings,
dawn
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Dawn, hope you enjoy it. The labels are on the way!
Kim B. says
So, so good!! I just made a batch and a half (got 6 half pints) Love this recipe because of the ease of using dried figs. The flavor is spectacular!!
Thanks so much!
Chris Scheuer says
So happy you enjoyed it, Kim! I love that it uses dried figs too, that means I can stir up a batch any time I get the urge!
Susan Umberger says
Oh this post is great, I want to make this jam to give as gifts this Christmas with cheese. I’ll water bath can it so it stays stable. Can you send me the PDF for the tags? It’d be greatly appreciated!
Susan
Susan says
This looks delicious. Can’t wait to try making it. Could you please send me both of the labels? Thanks in advance
Chris Scheuer says
I'll be happy to send you the labels, Susan! Enjoy!
Sherry says
Could I please get the PDF for the labels please? Thanks for sharing a wonderful recipe, too!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Sherry! I'll send you the labels now!