Bonne Maman Fig Jam Recipe

Invite the Mediterranean into your kitchen with the Bonne Maman fig jam recipe you can make yourself.

Purple or white figs have beautiful soft, red flesh and smell amazing when they are picked from the tree fully ripe and wonderfully sun-drenched towards the end of summer. When they’re used to make jam, you’ll feel like you’re on holiday all year round when you have it for breakfast or use it in a sweet-savoury recipe.

Make your own purple or white fig jam, with delicious pieces using the Bonne Maman recipe. Just follow the steps below to make yours, it’s really easy for young and old with a sweet tooth!

Instructions:

Before you start: So the jam keeps well, wash the jars and lids thoroughly. Then immerse your lids and jars in a saucepan filled with water and bring it to a boil for 5 to 15 minutes. Then let them dry upside down on a clean cloth. You can also wash them in the dishwasher!

Preparation:

1. Choose 900 g of beautiful, ripe figs, giving preference to fruit grown near to where you live. You can use purple, white or even green figs, choose the ones you like best! Useful tip: Choose fruit in season, it will be full of flavour!
2. Prepare the figs: remove the stalks and peel the skin if it is thick (it can also add texture to your jam!), then cut the figs into 2 or 4 if they are big. Did you know that fig milk, which is the white liquid that comes out of figs when they are picked, is used to curdle milk? It’s an excellent replacement for rennet (for making ficu cheese)!
3. Put the figs in a large saucepan with 250 ml of water and start cooking them over a medium heat, stirring regularly with a wooden spatula. Cook until the fruit is soft. Add a tablespoon of lemon juice: this will enhance the figs’ flavour and help preserve their beautiful colour.
4. Then turn the heat down, and slowly add 900 g of jam sugar, stirring regularly. If you prefer jam without pieces, you can cook it for a little longer or blend your mixture before adding the sugar. Useful tips: You can also add spices or candied fruit peel to your jam – fig goes really well with cinnamon for Christmas, for example. To make fig jam that is not as sweet, reduce the sugar by 200 g (but it won’t keep as long!)
5. When the sugar is well dissolved, cook over a high heat (light boil) for about 20 minutes, stirring regularly so that your jam does not stick to the bottom of the saucepan.
6. The cooking stops when the fruit becomes more translucent and is evenly distributed through the mixture. Useful tip: to check that the jam is going to set well, pour a drop onto a plate chilled in the refrigerator beforehand, and tilt it: if the drop runs, the jam is not cooked enough. If it sets, it’s ready!
7. Off the heat, skim off the foam that forms on the surface.
8. Ladle the jam into the jars immediately, filling them right up to the top. Then screw on the right-sized lids and turn the jars upside down on a tea towel so they pasteurise themselves.
9. Allow the jars to cool before labelling them. You can then keep your jams in a cool, dry place for several months.
10. After opening, keep your jam in the fridge and use it within the next month.

This is a jam to enjoy from breakfast to dinner!

You can enjoy this Bonne Maman fig jam recipe all year round: with fromage frais and fresh fruit at the start of the year, on a slice of toasted brioche whenever you feel like it, or even at Christmas with a touch of cardamom and cinnamon, to add a delicious warm note to the festive season.

Keep your fig jam in a safe place in a kitchen cupboard and use it to provide the creative element in what you make when you want to surprise your guests. Figs’ soft flesh and sweet notes make them delicious to eat with lots of different sweet or savoury dishes. Look through Bonne Maman’s recipe ideas.