Fig Jam With Rosemary

Published Sept. 1, 2021

Fig Jam With Rosemary
Ryan Liebe for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Hadas Smirnoff.
Total Time
45 minutes, plus canning or cooling
Rating
4(195)
Comments
Read comments

Ripe figs lend their subtle sweetness to this chunky jam. Lemons add a necessary sparkle, and fresh rosemary balances the tanginess. You can substitute other woodsy herbs, such as thyme, marjoram or oregano, or add spices, such as black pepper, but additional seasonings should complement rather than overpower the figs. This jam involves little preparation but yields tasty results: Use it as a spread for warm toast, to serve alongside salty cheese or as a topping for meat dishes.

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Ingredients

Yield:3 to 4 cups
  • 2pounds fresh ripe figs, stemmed and chopped (about 6 cups)
  • 4large sprigs fresh rosemary (wrapped and tied in cheesecloth)
  • 2cups granulated sugar
  • 2tablespoons lemon zest (from about 4 lemons)
  • ¼cup lemon juice (from 1 to 2 lemons), plus more to taste
  • ½teaspoon kosher salt (Diamond Crystal), plus more to taste
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

375 calories; 1 gram fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 97 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 91 grams sugars; 1 gram protein; 160 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place the figs in a 4-quart heavy-bottomed pot. Pour in 1½ cups water and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the figs soften and the liquid begins to thicken, about 10 minutes.

  2. Step 2

    Add the rosemary and sugar, and stir until the sugar dissolves. Bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until the syrup thickens, the figs are mostly broken down and the jam goes from a rapid boil to slow bubbles, about 25 minutes. Remove and discard the rosemary.

  3. Step 3

    Stir in the lemon zest and juice and kosher salt. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for another minute for a runnier jam or up to 8 minutes if you prefer a thicker jam. Taste and adjust with more lemon juice and salt as needed. (Adding lemon juice will thin the jam, but it does thicken as it cools.) The jam should be sweet and tart with a hint of fresh rosemary.

  4. Step 4

    Transfer to sterilized jars and can, or cool to room temperature, then store in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

Ratings

4 out of 5
195 user ratings
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Comments

It's not even necessary to cook them in a boiling water bath. In Germany everyone makes jams, jellies, and preserves just by turning the hot jars upside down for 5 min and then storing them right-side up in the pantry for up to a year. I've been making it this way for 25 years and never have a problem.

This is a very basic recipe. However, with a bunch of modifications, it was fantastic. 1) Adjust/reduce sugar depending on the sweetness or ripeness of the figs. My figs are sugar bombs. I pulled it back to about 1 1/4 cups sugar. 2) I added a few teaspoons of vanilla extract 3) I added a teaspoon+ of cake spice. Added really nice warm notes to this. I also cooked it almost twice as long at every stage. Came out delicious.

RE: Low-acidity fruit - while figs themselves are low-acidity, the recipe includes 1/4 cup lemon juice, which not only complements the figs nicely, but provides plenty of (citric) acid, so I'm guessing canning in a Mason jar should be safe.

Excellent recipe for when you can get your hands on a big batch of fresh figs. I added a touch of balsam fir syrup instead of rosemary. Used the jam as an accompaniment to the Jacques Pépin liver pâté, a stinky, melty French cheese, and warm baguette. Perfection!

There are so many variations of fig jam. All delicious. This one is my favorite because of the surprise woodsy taste/smell of rosemary. Small jars work best for gifts that are gone before the jam gets moldy, even if canned.

This was delicious. I was able to pick a lot of very ripe figs from our garden. As Ginger recommended, I added less sugar, but kept all the same ingredients.

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