Orange Fig Jam – When Life Gives You Figs, Make Fig Jam
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 orange 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 5 half pint jars
FULL PRINTABLE RECIPE BELOW
Ingredients
- ripe, fresh figs
- zest from a fresh organic orange
- zest from a fresh organic lemon
- sugar
- Grand Marnier
- pinch of salt
Special equipment: glass jars for the jam
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
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups fresh figs (stems removed and cut into 1/2" pieces)
- 1 orange zest organic
- 1 lemon zest organic
- 2 cups sugar
- 4 oz Grand Marnier
- 1 pinch 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
Nutrition
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COULD THIS BE MADE WITHOUT THE GRAND MARNIER.
Of course, just omit it, but it won’t be as orangey.
I think the Grand Marnier does not add much orangeness, there is orange peel already, but it does add. More because of the vanilla in the Grand Marnier I think. What I do instead is use a bit more orange zest, and a bit of vanilla. (Essence or extract, doesn’t matter). I think Grand Marnier in jam is a bit over the top.
I’m confused by your comment, Rick. What are you saying?
No need to make this recipe at all if you think it’s over the top. The rest of us who do will enjoy it immensely! Have a better day! :)
My mom poured being hot jam into sterilized jars and turned them upside down for a couple minutes. Then she would turn them back up. And yes t&e so that didn’t pop were put in fridge and used promptly.
I haven’t heard of that method, but the heat of the jam must cause the sealing of the lids. Thanks, Kelley!
I bottle jam using clean bottles and screw o lids. But jam goes mouldy and some makes bubbles.
It sounds as though your bottles aren’t sealing, Theresa. If this is the case, keep them in the fridge. You don’t want to mess with unsealed food as it can give you food poisoning. If you use jam jars, you will see and hear them seal (a loud pop) and the center of the lid will go down. Then it’s sealed. If this doesn’t happen, put them in the fridge asap.
Variation: I like to add cinnamon (a heaped teaspoon or more per kilo figs), allspice, vanilla (essence), and grated fresh ginger. For me the Grand Marnier is a but over the top if vanilla and cinnamon are added.
I also have an undrinkable bottle of Marc de Bourgogne (very sharp French eau de vie) that is really good in this jam. Just a splash.
Oh, now that’s a variation I’ve never seen. Probably good in Christmas baked goods! I’m not big on cinnamon and lots of spices, but I know many others are. Glad you like the recipe, Rick. :)
I’ve NEVER made anything with figs before. So, this may be obvious, but I have to ask… Do I peel the figs first?
You can peel them if you prefer, but I didn’t. They have very thin skins and are totally edible and less work! :)
My variation:
Scant quart of figs, stemmed and quartered
Half cup dates, pitted & quartered
Rind, juice, & as much flesh as possible minus seeds of og lemon & orange
4 Tbsp sugar
Salt to taste
Proceed with recipe as written.
My figs are only just coming in, so I only got that scant quart off the tree. I figured dates would make up the volume decently. Also, I am out of Cointreau, so I improvised with the citrus juices. Between the dates and the juices, I was able to reduce the sugar substantially. I am excited to serve this with cheeses and as a filling between cake layers!
Delicious! Love serving it with cheese, but haven’t tried it in cakes! Enjoy!
Hi Rilla. I’m not familiar with what the OG means before lemon/orange. Also, did you really go from 2 c sugar to 4T? How much did your recipe make?
Hi Jodie, I’m going to interject here. Not sure about og, just assumed it was a typo, but this will not make jam. It will essentially be cooked figs and won’t keep very long in the fridge. You cannot make jam with 4Tbsp of sugar and this amount of figs. Just in case you wanted to try it to make jam.
I made the jam today and it is delicious. I used the USDA approved method of canning the jam in a boiling water bath. It is a bit more work than the open kettle method, but from a food safety point of view worth the little extra time it takes.
The boiling water bath is more likely to result in a jam that will not grow bacteria or mold. My mother made jams and jellies at home, and sealed them with paraffin, and they sometimes spoiled due to an incomplete seal. It would be a shame to lose a jar of this tasty treat due to spoilage.
Please be safe out there in food world?
Awesome, Vickie!! That’s good to hear and yes, it is a bit more work, but as you said, more secure. :) Thanks so much for coming back to let me know you liked the recipe!
Thanks so much, I’m looking forward to making this!
Enjoy it, Shellie! It’s so good!