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
[…] degree because fresh figs are her favorite fruit. I can put them into a smoothie, and I do love orange fig jam with brie and crackers, but she still sees this as a crime, just to a lesser […]
[…] Orange Fig Jam […]
I have just processed 12# of figs using your recipe. I’ve made fig jam on and off for 30 plus years and this is the BEST recipe! In case this helps others, this is what I did:
* used frozen fruit defrosted overnight. “De-stemmed” only.
* processed portions in my food processor using “pulse” instead of cutting by hand
* prepared jam in 6# batches using your recipe and times. I multiplied the ingredients accordingly, but kept the same times.
* suffered NO lapse in quality form larger batches
I also did not have Grand Marnier, so I substituted 1 cup Apricot Brandy in one batch (then ran out!) and Triple Sec in the second batch. I think I prefer the Triple Sec in that comparison but will buy Grand Marnier to use when I do the rest of the frozen figs. My yield was 192 oz of jam. (Because I used so many oranges and lemons, I squeezed both for juice; froze the lemon juice in ice cube trays in 1 T. quantities.) Thank you for this wonderful recipe!
Oh my goodness, you are a veritable fig-jam pro! Thank you so much for letting me (and others) know about your success with this recipe, Cindy! I really appreciate it and am so happy you are elated with the results. If it’s good with Triple Sec, you can imagine how it is with Grand Marnier! Lovely review, thank you again! CC
The Grand Marnier wins! Velvety orange deliciousness. These jars will become my secret stash LOL!! Now on to the plums in the freezer… Do you think the same procedure (ingredient ratio, rest time, and cooking time) would work for the plums? While I don’t want to return to commercial pectin, I REALLY don’t want to stand over the stove waiting for the slow slide off of a spoon! The plum is a perennial favorite and any suggestions you have would be appreciated.
Hi Cindy, I’m so happy you love the orange fig jam! I don’t think the plum jam can be made the exact same way as the fig with the same results since they are such different types of fruit. Unfortunately, without using pectin, the only way for the plum jam to set would be to boil it long enough. My suggestion is to listen to an audio book or podcast while you’re making the jam, enjoy the process :) Yes, you can also tell me you don’t have time and to shut up! ;) Thanks again for the lovely review! CC
Haha, yes, I was afraid you were going to say that but a girl can hope LOL! Thank you for your reply, I appreciate your time. The review was a pleasure to give, a necessity really, after that slice of heaven jam you gave us!!
You are much too kind, Cindy! Thank you and good luck with your plum jam! CC
I’d try chia seeds, since figs have a fleshy texture the seeds blend right in. I’m not find of traditional pectin and now make my fruit jams with chia.
I’m making my first fig jam batch with a generous 2.25 lbs of brown Turkey figs from my own tree. Half of it’s going to be chilled, then folded into homemade keto vanilla ice cream for an experimental fig ice cream batch, the rest will go into freezer bags. So many figs to be picked each morning that I am freezing about 5 more lbs!!
[…] Orange Fig Jam […]
[…] and I’m still getting thank you cards for it. The recipe we used is heavily inspired by a blogger named Christina’s Cucina, although I have modified it a bit and use orange juice instead of Grand Marnier to keep it […]
This sounds yummy! Does it matter what kind of figs? The photos seem to show either green or tiger stripe figs. I’m trying to decide what to do with 2 lbs of Mission figs.
Hi Jolie, no you can use whatever figs you like. I’ve made it with green and black figs (not sure of their actual names)! :) Enjoy!
I love figs, and have three varieties growing in my yard, all planted by me! Last year I finally got the courage to make jams and canned tomatoes and overcame my fear botulism. This year I was determined to make fig jam, but was not happy with the huge quantity of sugar called for in most recipes, that’s how I found Christina’s Cucina. Made the jam yesterday, I only had lemons and did not want to go out to buy oranges, so I used the zest of a large lemon and some of the juice and skipped the Grand Marnier… did not have that either. Next batch I will be sure to have an orange and some kind of nice liquor, if not Grand Marnier. The jam turned out perfect and is really delicious. Thank you Christina.
Wonderful, Mari! How lovely to have three figs that you planted yourself! Wow! I bet the lemon version is nice, too. Thanks so much for your lovely comment and enjoy your fig jam! :)
Have made lots of fig preserves with all sorts of things… cognac was the last one to huge success. Lots of different kinds of whisky in our house, so I combined a Canadian rye with a winter’s gold single malt Dalwhinnie…. which was the end of a bottle so the rye made up the balance. I am also flush with figs so made a larger batch. Lots of jam giving in my future!
Good for you! Can’t go wrong with Scotch whisky anytime! :)