Make your own homemade fig jam by stewing fresh, chopped figs with brown sugar, lemon juice and chai spices until thick, jammy and delicious.
Homemade Fig Jam Recipe
- Easy to make: This jam comes together in one pot in under an hour. It’s quite low maintenance as far as prep goes, but do be sure to keep an eye on the pot and give it a stir every now and then as it cooks.
- Thick & jammy without the need for pectin: Though figs are low in natural pectin, they’re still perfectly suitable for jam making thanks to their naturally high sugar content. For good measure, the added brown sugar & orange peel also help to create the thickened texture.
- Chai spiced: You can use a pre-made chai spice blend or store bought chai tea bags if you want a super easy way to add the chai flavor. If you have the means, add fresh and whole spices to an empty tea bag for a more intense chai-flavor.
How to Make Chai Spiced Fig Jam
- Prep ingredients: Wash, de-stem & chop the figs then add them to a sauce pan with the remaining ingredients.
- FYI on fig size: The larger the fig pieces, the chunkier your jam.
- Mix together: Stir everything together until evenly combined then start cooking over a medium/medium-high heat.
- Cook & cool: Cook, about 45-60 minutes, stirring often until you have a thick and jammy mixture. When it’s done, remove the pan from the heat and set aside until it’s cool enough to transfer to an airtight container or jar.
- Optional – Check the temp to know when it’s done: If you own a candy thermometer the jam should be done when it reaches 220°F (105°C).
The Chai Spices
Chai spice blends come in many forms with varying spices and amounts required.
For this jam recipe, I settled on a simplified variation of whole spices commonly found in chai blends: cinnamon sticks, star anise, clove, cardamom and fresh ginger.
Feel free to play around with the amounts and actual spices used depending on what you like or what’s available to you.
FYI – on note on using whole spices: I don’t recommend using whole spices if you don’t have a way of containing them in an empty tea bag or tied up in a cheese cloth for easy removal after cooking. If you add them loose, you’ll end up biting into whole pieces of clove later. Great for your oral health, but not exactly pleasant to eat.
Optional – Mash up the larger pieces
Mash or Blend: Though the figs will naturally break down as they cook, you will still likely have a few larger chunks left in tact.
If you prefer a smoother jam texture, use a potato masher or hand-held blender to mash/blend out the bigger pieces.
How to Test if it’s Done without a thermometer
The jam will thicken up as it cools, but still feel a bit runny while it’s still warm which can make it tricky to know when it’s done.
One easy way to check if it’s done is to quickly chill the jam to see if it’s set.
Cold plate test:
Add a spoonful of jam to a chilled plate then place in the fridge for a minute to chill. Once chilled, run your finger through the middle. If the line stays put without filling in and the surface of the jam wrinkled a bit when moving, then you’re done.
What Next? How to Use Your Fig Jam
Here are a few different ways to put your homemade jam to use:
- Breakfast & Brunch
- Spoon over pancakes, waffles and french toast in place of (or addition to) maple syrup.
- Smear onto your morning toast, scones or your favorite fruity quick bread.
- Yogurts & Parfaits:
- Cakes, Tarts & Other Desserts:
- Spread in between cake layers like my Victoria Sponge, mix into vanilla ice cream or add to fruity crumble bars. I’ve got a hankering to make use this fig jam in place of the raspberry jam in my Bakewell Tart.
- Savory
Enjoy!
Let me know if you try this easy fig jam recipe! Leave a comment and review with your thoughts. I always appreciate the feedback and serving suggestions that you come up with!
Vanilla & Chai Spiced Fig Jam
Make your own homemade fig jam by stewing fresh, chopped figs with brown sugar, lemon juice and chai spices until thick, jammy and delicious.
Ingredients
Chai Spices - add to an empty tea bag or use the options in the notes
- 2 cinnamon sticks, 3-4 inch long or 1 cinnamon stick, 6 inches long
- 6 cardamom pods, smashed
- 4 whole cloves
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 inch fresh ginger, peeled & sliced
Jam
- 2 lbs fresh figs, brown turkey or black mission figs (900g)
- 1 ¼ cup light brown sugar (330g)
- ¼ cup lemon juice (60ml)
- ¼ cup water (80ml)
- 2-inch strip of fresh orange peel
- 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Instructions
- If you are using whole spices: Skip this step if you're using ground spices or store-bought tea bags. Add the whole, spices and fresh ginger to an empty tea bag or clean cheese cloth and secure the bag or cloth shut to contain the spices. Set aside.
- Fig prep: Wash, de-stem and chop into smaller pieces. Keep in mind that the larger your fig pieces the chunkier your jam will be.
- Combine: Add the chopped figs to a medium sauce pan along with the sugar, lemon juice, water, orange peel, vanilla and chai spice/tea bags to the pot. Stir everything together until well combined. FYI: I like to tie the tea bags to the handle so I can keep track of it, but you can toss it in and fish it out at the end.
- Cook: Place the pot over a high heat until it starts to boil then reduce the temperature down to medium to maintain a simmer. Simmer and cook for about 40-50 minutes until thick & jammy. Stir every so often and break up the figs as you cook. If you own a candy thermometer the jam should be done when it reaches 220°F (105°C).
- Mash it up - optional: Use a potato masher or an immersion blender to to mash up or blend larger fig chunks into a smoother consistency.
- Remove & cool: Remove the orange peels and tea bag (if needed) and let the hot jam cool slightly before transferring the jam to a clean jar.
- Store: Cool to room temperature then keep refrigerated in an airtight jar for up to 3 weeks.
Notes
- Chai Spice Alternatives: Add 1-2 teaspoons masala chai spice blend made from ground spices OR 4-6 caffeIne-free chai tea bags.
- Freeze: Store in a freezer-safe container (leaving at least ½ inch headspace to leave from for expansion) up to 6 months. Thaw in the fridge a few hours or overnight.
Leave a Review!