How to make the best jams and preserves – with a recipe for fig jam (2024)

There is a glut of fruit in summer and autum and by turning the excess into jams, pickles and preserves, we can carry on eating them through the winter. I love seasonal eating: there’s something special about having to wait a whole year to eat plums, or damsons or figs. But a jar of jam can make the enjoyment last that little bit longer.

Fruit hunt

You can buy fruit all year round, but anything imported from Peru by a supermarket just won’t taste as good as British fruit in season, even in jam. Fortunately, this year has been a bumper crop, with the British strawberry season looking likely to continue into December. You could also ask friends who have fruit trees if they have an excess – offer to pay them back with a jar of your jam.

I buy from wholesale markets, which you’ll find in most large towns. They’re open all night, although I tend to go around 6am when they are winding down. I buy mostly from the UK, though I think that stone fruits are always best from Italy or France. And I use Turkish figs, which are about to come to the end of their season.

The riper the better

The best jam comes from very ripe, tasty fruit – the riper the better. I enjoy walking around the market, tasting the fruit, cutting it open to check it’s juicy and fresh. Homemade jam is made in small batches. I do mine in two copper pans, and get around 14 jars per batch. The fruit cooks quite quickly – in around five minutes – and the jam holds on to all the lovely fruit juice.

Hold back on the sugar

When you try a shop-bought jam, the first thing you taste is sugar because all the fruit juice has evaporated over the long cooking process in a huge vat. A high sugar content also means a jam will keep for years.

My jams have a fruit to sugar ratio of 60:40 – much lower than the 60% sugar required to label something as jam. It means that they are officially “preserves”, but when you eat them, you immediately taste sweet, fresh fruit. They have to be kept in the fridge once opened, and will only last a few weeks. Really good-quality jam will go mouldy quite quickly – it’s a good sign!

Basic equipment

To make your own jam, you will need a heavy-bottomed pan and around five jars – for this recipe, we will be making a smaller batch than I’d make to sell in my shop. You must sterilise your jars so that they are ready to be filled with hot jam as soon as it is ready. I usually heat the glass jars in the oven at 150 degrees for five minutes. I then leave them in the oven to go warm while I’m making the jam, only removing them to fill them up at the last minute.

How to make the best jams and preserves – with a recipe for fig jam (1)

You must also sterilise the lids in boiling water for five minutes, then drain them just before the jam is done and let them dry off in the pan. Once you’ve poured the hot jam into the warm jars, and sealed the lids, turn them upside down to help push out any air. They should then keep unopened for about a year.

Get set

You can make your own apple pectin stock, which helps the jam to set. For this, roughly chop five cooking apples, put in a pan and add water until it is about 3cm above the apples, bring to the boil then simmer until the apples are soft. Finally, strain through a cheesecloth.

Season’s end

We’ll soon be coming to the end of the fruit year once more, and then we’ll have to struggle through January, February and March with very little. Oranges will have to sustain us – I’ll be making a lot of seville and blood orange marmalade, or even pear jam, which is incredibly difficult to master. But for now, you can use up the last of the figs for homemade fig and earl grey jam, which will hopefully see you through until Christmas.

Lillie O’Brien runs the London Borough of Jam, 51d Chatsworth Road, London, E5 0LH

How to make the best jams and preserves – with a recipe for fig jam (2)

Fig and earl grey jam

This jam is thick – almost like a compote – and it’s delicious eaten with soft cow’s cheese, as well as on toast or with yoghurt and granola.

Ingredients

1kg soft, ripe figs

400g granulated sugar

2 earl grey tea bags

Half a cup of water

Juice of 1 lemon

1 cup apple pectin stock

Method

1. Remove the stalks from the figs, then slice them quite thinly. Place them in a heavy-based saucepan, with the tea bags and half a cup of water.

2. Cook them for five minutes on a low heat so the juices run and the figs begin to break down.

3. Add the sugar, the lemon juice and the pectin stock. The lemon juice and the pectin stock help the jam to set. The lemon juice also offsets the sweetness of the sugar and the fruit.

4. Slowly bring the mixture up to the boil, stirring all the time so that the figs don’t catch on the bottom of the pan. The consistency should be quite thick.

5. Boil for about five minutes. Keep stirring gently throughout.

6. Turn off the heat, and let the jam rest for five minutes. Carefully remove the tea bags.

7. Remove your sterilised, warm jars from the oven, and pour in the jam. Seal immediately with the sterilised lids. If you are using a clip jar, you need to have sterilised the seal.

8. Turn the jam jars upside down and leave for 30 minutes, to push out any remaining air.

9. Once cooled, your jams will keep for up to 12 months unopened. Once opened, they will keep for a couple of weeks in the fridge.

How to make the best jams and preserves – with a recipe for fig jam (2024)

FAQs

What is the difference between fig jam and fig preserves? ›

Fig jam typically consists of figs, sugar, and sometimes lemon juice or zest for added flavor. On the other hand, fig preserves often contain larger pieces of figs or even whole figs, along with sugar and sometimes additional spices or flavorings.

What pairs well with fig jam? ›

Fig Jam and Cheese Plate

Serve it on the side of blue cheese, gorgonzola, goats cheese or atop brie and serve with crackers, fruit and charcuterie.

How do you make fig jam thicker? ›

5 Ways to Thicken Homemade Jam
  1. Just wait. You've followed the recipe and even tested the jam for thickness by smearing a bit of the cooked jam on a cold spoon straight from the freezer, but it still looks runny in the canning jars after processing. ...
  2. Add chia seeds. ...
  3. Cook it again. ...
  4. Add pectin. ...
  5. Cook it in a low oven.
Sep 5, 2023

What jam is closest to fig jam? ›

Best Alternatives for Fig Jam
  1. Apricot Jam. Let's begin our journey with our apricot jam. ...
  2. Peach Jam. GOOD GOOD's peach jam is a celebration of that juicy, orchard-fresh taste of peaches, made with 60% whole fruit and a dash of passion fruit for that extra tropical zing. ...
  3. Blackcurrant Jam. ...
  4. Blueberry Jam. ...
  5. Cherry Jam.

Why is my fig jam bitter? ›

Figs that are too ripe (insides oozing out), make for a bitter jam.

What is the best fig variety for preserves? ›

Celeste – Is a hardy fig developing small to medium, violet-skinned fruit when mature. This tree will become a large fig tree and is highly productive. The flesh is rich and sweet, often used to make fig preserves.

What cheese goes best with fig? ›

Served with cheese

Plump, fresh figs pair well with a wide variety of cheeses, from crumbly, sharp stilton to creamy brie.

What flavors compliment fig? ›

Flavors to partner with figs include nuts, vinegars including balsamic and sherry vinegars, honey, cured meats like prosciutto and ham, warm spices including cinnamon and cardamom, herbs like rosemary and thyme, and dairy, especially cheese. Because they are so high in sugar, fresh figs caramelize easily when roasted.

How long does fig jam last in fridge after opening? ›

A store-bought jar of fig jam will generally have an expiration date printed on it, though it's actually a best by or use by date. Unopened, it will last for one to two years in a cool, dry pantry. However, once opened, it should be refrigerated immediately and will typically stay good for six to twelve months.

Which is better preserves or jam? ›

Preserves are the closest thing to consuming whole fruit. They contain chunks of the actual fruit, making them richer in fiber and nutrients. As with jam, though, the sugar content can vary based on the brand or recipe. In terms of health benefits, preserves generally come out on top due to their whole fruit content.

What do you use fig preserves for? ›

Spread on crostini with goat cheese, prosciutto and balsamic vinegar for a tasty appetizer or lunch. Combine with rosemary and balsamic vinegar and use as a glaze for chicken, pork, or kebabs. Swirl into a cheesecake batter for a fig cheesecake. Spread it on toast, English muffins, or biscuits instead of jelly.

What is the difference between jam and preserves? ›

Jam: Jam is made with mashed fruit. Preserves: Preserves have whole fruit or large pieces of fruit. Some fruits such as blackberries or raspberries will not stay whole during the processing so there may not be much difference between raspberry jam and raspberry preserve.

Which is thicker jam or preserves? ›

Fruit preserves are a lot like jam, but they're slightly thicker, thanks to the addition of large chunks or whole pieces of fruit instead of chopped, crushed, or puréed fruit. You'll usually find large bits of fruit suspended in preserves, as well as seeds, in many cases.

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