Making Fig Jam

fig jam ingredients

This year’s fig output is rivaling the most bountiful zucchini harvest ever.  If like me you’re racing to scoop figs off the pavement before the summer sun turns your backyard into a fermentation zone it’s time to get on a ladder, pick everything that is nearly ripe and make some jam.  (Shoutout to Kate and friends for spending a couple of hours to clear the tree of fruit). Yes, I said nearly ripe.  By the time figs are ripe on the tree often they are so blown out that they are already fermenting.  Pick those too, but really go through your harvest and cull those that smell funky.

Inspiration for this particular method goes to Diana B on Food52.  I suspect she got inspiration from the fantastic Mes Confitures by Christine Ferber.  As always I didn’t check my pantry before I started so I just used what I had, some white sugar and some brown sugar, some honey hanging around from a trip to So. Australia’s Kangaroo Island and some pineapple sage in the garden.  Make choices based on what you have and what you like.

If you’ve never preserved jam before so you can keep it shelf stable here’s a primer from Ball.