This orange fig jam recipes is so incredibly easy to make, requires no pectin and tastes heavenly! I don’t even like figs and I love this jam. Use it on bread, in desserts, but my favorite way is with brie and crackers!
If you’ve been reading my posts for a while, you may recall that I don’t like fresh figs.
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However, I love fig jam! I’m going to show you…
How to Make Orange Fig Jam
I wish I did like figs, because they’re insanely good for you, but I just don’t; I can’t lie. However, a few years ago, I was practically force fed an appetizer by a French foodie friend, that had fig jam on top–and well–I loved it! It didn’t taste like figs to me, and the funny thing is that my mother, who ADORES fresh figs, doesn’t like fig jam! She thinks it’s sacrilegious to even think about making fig jam.
Well, I had to disappoint her (again), because at our last Food Bloggers of Los Angeles (FBLA) meeting, the lovely Karla Stockli from the California Fig Advisory Board, Fresh Fig Growers Association and Fig Institute joined us, and brought us all flats of fresh figs (how’s that for alliteration?) At first, I wasn’t going to take one, but then I realized that I could make fig jam.
When I got home, I set out to find a recipe online and came across a Drunken Fig Jam recipe from Bon Appétit, and decided I’d make an orange version of it by replacing the brandy with Grand Marnier. I also swapped half of the lemon zest for orange. As I already commented, I like orange fig jam on top of brie and crackers, but you can use it anyway you like to use any other jam. Put it on bread or toast, in yogurt, with scones, etc. I hope you enjoy my recipe!
(Thank you, Karla! We’ll enjoy those figs well into winter now!)
Orange Fig Jam
adapted from Drunken Fig Jam on Bon Appétit makes about 3 half pint jars
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Special equipment: glass jars for the jam
Ingredients
- ripe, fresh figs
- zest from a fresh organic orange
- zest from a fresh organic lemon
- sugar
- Grand Marnier
- pinch of salt
Directions to Make Orange Fig Jam
Place the figs in a large pot.
Next, add the orange and lemon zest, sugar, Grand Marnier and pinch of salt into the same pot.
Stir and let stand at room temperature for one hour, stirring occasionally.
After an hour, put the pot on medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil the orange fig jam for approximately half an hour. Stir and mash the figs with a potato masher, to crush the pieces. When it has boiled for half an hour, remove from heat.
Ladle the orange fig jam into rinsed, hot clean jars (rinsed with boiling water), leaving about 1/4″ space at the top, clean the rim and cover with hot lids (also rinsed with boiling water).
Finally, process in a water bath for 10 minutes, or keep refrigerated.
NOTE: when I make jam, I pour the boiling jam into old jam jars. Once the jam cools, the middle of the lids will almost always “pop” meaning the jars have sealed (the center of the jar will also become concave). If they do not “pop”, the jam will definitely spoil (and will be dangerous to ingest) if not refrigerated. I keep the unsealed jars in the fridge.
Cut some pretty fabric and cover the lids, tied with a little ribbon for beautiful gifts.
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Orange Fig Jam
Super easy fig jam flavored with a touch of orange makes a wonderful gift, if you're able to give it away!
Ingredients
- 1 kg (about 4 1/2 cups) ripe, fresh figs (stems removed and cut into 1/2" pieces)
- zest from 1 fresh organic orange
- zest from 1 fresh organic lemon
- 2 cups (500 g) sugar
- 4 oz (120 ml) Grand Marnier
- a pinch of salt
Instructions
- Place the figs in a large pot the add the orange and lemon zest, sugar, Grand Marnier and pinch of salt. Stir and let stand at room temperature for one hour, stirring occasionally.
- After an hour, put the pot on medium high heat and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar.
- Reduce heat to medium and continue to boil for approximately half an hour, stirring and mashing the figs with a potato masher, to crush the pieces. Remove from heat.
- Ladle into rinsed, hot clean jars (rinsed with boiling water), leaving about 1/4″ space at the top, clean the rim and cover with hot lids (also rinsed with boiling water) immediately.
- When cool, the lids will "POP" and become concave in the middle. If this does not happen, the seal is not good and you will have to store these jars in the fridge.
Notes
NOTE: when I make jam, I pour the boiling jam into sterilized, old jam jars. Once the jam cools, the middle of the lids will almost always "pop" meaning the jars have sealed (the center of the jar will also become concave). If they do not "pop", the jam will definitely spoil (and will be dangerous to ingest) if not refrigerated. I keep the unsealed jars in the fridge. My advice to you is to process the jam as per US food safety laws, or keep in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 50 Serving Size: 1 tbspAmount Per Serving: Calories: 48Total Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 0mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 0gSugar: 0gProtein: 0g
Beautiful post! Of course my mom also adores figs & loves that we have a tree in our backyard :) Thanks for sharing!
do you add range juice for flavor or just the orange zest?
No, Oobe, I didn’t add the juice, just the zest, but you could decrease the liqueur and add some juice as a variation, I’m sure. Let me know how it turns out if you do. :) CC
Your jam looks delicious and I desperately want to try some on toast with blue cheese. Too bad I used up all my figs or I’d make my own. Guess I’ll just have to go out and buy some more.
I’m sure that would make Karla happy! :)
I really love fresh figs, I have poached and canned but never made jam. Must try this, really love that you added citrus.
Wow, I’ve never heard of poached and canned figs! Just goes to show you, in my house, no cooking of figs ever occured! My mother ate them all raw ;)
Fabulous! I struggle with cooking figs because I love them so much raw. I like your pairing of orange and fig. Can’t wait to try that.
Oh, lucky you that you like them! My mother claims that I”m not Italian because I don’t like figs! ;)
I just found your blog through today’s ‘California Fig’ post on FB. LOVE this! I love fresh figs AND fig jam, and have loads of figs coming on in the garden. I can’t wait to make this! And your blog is wonderful too–I had a nice little foray through it over this morning’s oatmeal :)
Cheers,
Lorrie
Thank you so much for letting me know, Lorrie! You made my day! I hope you enjoy the jam once you try it, and hope you’ll be back to visit my blog often! Thanks again, CC :)
This is right up my alley. I put fig jam on everything!
Ha ha! I’m sure you would love this, then! Thanks, Sheryl!
So professional and pretty! I wish i had seen this sooner. I ended up roasting mine in olive oil, balsamic and a little brown sugar to use in something savory. This sounds way better! :)
Aww…thank you, Adair! My fault for not posting sooner as I made the jam right after the FBLA meeting. I’m sure yours were really tasty too!