Ridiculously Easy Orange Fig Jam (made with dried figs)

This Ridiculously Easy Orange Fig Jam is almost embarrassingly easy- combine dried figs (yes DRIED figs), sugar, orange juice and zest along with a splash of vinegar - cook, stir, puree - you're done! Then it's time to enjoy!

Scott and I were in one of those fun little home and kitchen boutique shops last weekend. He spotted a jar of Orange Fig Jam and placed it on the counter with a few other items we were purchasing. When we arrived home that day and I was unpacking our treasures, I noticed the price on that small jar of jam... "ouch", I thought to myself!

Right then and there, I decided to make my own! I knew from my Balsamic Fig Jam that it's not difficult and doesn't even require pectin. I decided to adapt that easy recipe to include lots of fresh orange flavor. So I went to work...

It was pretty simple from the go. I subbed orange juice for the water and omitted the balsamic vinegar but when I tasted the new concoction it was overly sweet so a splash of apple cider vinegar and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice balanced everything perfectly. Lots of finely grated orange zest, stirred in at the end, added lots of fresh orange flavor. Done!

Make this jam any time of year!

I love that this orange fig jam can be made any time of year since it's made with dried figs. Since fig season is so short and fresh figs are expensive (unless you're lucky enough have a fig tree growing in your yard), this is a wonderful option. I wasn't sure the first time I made fig jam from dried figs if it would live up to fresh fig jam but I was happily surprised. Honestly, you can't tell the difference!

Ridiculously Easy

I would be remiss not to tell you about our whole collection of recipes that we call Ridiculously Easy. You can read more about these recipes in this post and check out the whole collection here. To keep things simple, I define this elite category as "the recipes that make you look like a kitchen rock star with minimal effort on your part".

Sound good? Yep, we think so too!

What to do with this Ridiculously Easy Orange Fig Jam

So what do you do with fig jam? SO much! This super easy orange fig jam will add lots of pizzazz to your everyday culinary world. Here are a few ideas:

• It's fantastic on toast, biscuits, scones, bagels or homemade rolls. We LOVE it on our Seeded Danish Carrot Rolls that you see in the pictures in this post (recipe coming up next week!) or our No-Knead Brioche Bread (that my son says is "better than grandma's - that's my mom who was famous for her homemade bread).
• 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 or a sprinkle of granola, 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 a 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.
• Give it as a gift!

Give it as a gift?

Yes, this fantastic orange fig jam makes a wonderful gift for family, friends, neighbors, teachers, co-workers, etc. Pair it with some gourmet crackers and a nice wedge of cheese for a fabulous hostess gift. If someone you know is discouraged or sad, a jar of this jam will be a sweet encouragement, knowing someone cares.

Because this makes such a nice gift, we've created a fun PDF for labels to adorn your jars. These labels are free for the asking - simply let us know in the comment section at the bottom of this post and we will email the labels to you within a day or two along with instructions on how to print them up on your own computer.

For beginners or seasoned cooks

If you've been intimated by making homemade jam, this Easy Orange Fig Jam recipe is for you! It will take you way less than an hour from start to finish and you'll have a row of beautiful golden jars lined up on your counter ready to enjoy! Try it! You'll be making this one again and again, especially if you share with family and/or friends... they'll be lots of requests for refills!

Café Tips for making this Ridiculously Easy Orange Fig Jam

• What type of dried figs to use for this jam? Any kind! I love the golden dried figs from Trader Joes and have also used dried Mission figs but any type of dried figs will work. The color of the jam will vary, depending on the type of dried figs you use.
• 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 Easy Orange 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 it will be shelf-stable.
• The easiest way to blend this Easy Fig Jam is with an immersion blended as you can blend it right in the pot. I love my immersion blender as it's a super versatile workhorse in my kitchen and can be used for soups, sauces and so much more.

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Ridiculously Easy Orange Fig Jam (from dried figs)

This Ridiculously Easy Orange Fig Jam is almost embarrassingly easy- combine dried figs (yes DRIED figs), sugar, orange juice and zest along with a splash of vinegar - cook, stir, puree - you're done! Then it's time to enjoy!

Author: Chris Scheuer

Course: Condiment

Cuisine: American

Keyword: Easy Fig Jam, Fig Jam from Dried Figs, Orange Fig Jam

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 25 mins

Total Time: 35 mins

Servings: 48 tablespoons

Calories: 51 kcal

Ingredients

• 12 ounces dried figs stems removed (see post for types of figs)
• 1¾ cups granulated sugar
• 2 cups orange juice
• 3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
• finely grated zest from 2 medium-size oranges

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

1. Chop each fig into quarters. Wash enough jars and lids to hold 24-ounces in hot soapy water and rinse well. Set aside.
2. Combine figs, sugar, orange juice, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice in a medium-large saucepan over medium heat.
3. Bring to a boil then reduce to a steady. rolling simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Pulse/blend the jam with an immersion (or regular) blender until large pieces are gone but jam is still has a bit of texture. (Use the pulse setting on your blender.)
5. Cook for another 5-10 minutes until jam is thickened to desired state. (It will get a bit thicker as it cools). Add fresh orange zest and stir to combine.
6. Transfer to jars with tight-fitting lids. Refrigerate for up to 2 weeks or freeze for 2-3 months.

7. If you prefer to can this jam to make it shelf stable, follow these directions.

Recipe Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn't have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

This recipe makes 24 ounces of jam. The number of jars will depend on the size of your jams.

Calories 51kcal

Fat 0.1g

Saturated fat 0.01g

Polyunsaturated fat 0.03g

Monounsaturated fat 0.01g

Sodium 1mg

Potassium 70mg

Carbohydrates 13g

Fiber 1g

Sugar 12g

Protein 0.3g

Vitamin A 21%

Vitamin C 5%

Calcium 13%

Iron 0.2%