Homemade Fig Jam (With Dried Figs)

If you've ever made jam, you know that with only a few ingredients, you can whip up a delicious spread that lasts much longer than the fresh fruit ever would. Jam-making is a great way to capture the flavors of in-season produce to enjoy several months later. Recipe developer Christina Musgrave brings us this recipe for Homemade Fig Jam (with dried figs).

While many jam recipes start with fresh fruit, this recipe begins with dried figs. Musgrave loves this method, in particular, because "this recipe is great year-round. It's great when fresh figs are not in season or locally available." Not only are dried figs available any time of year, but they are also accessible at most grocery stores, making this a truly attainable evergreen recipe. Because you are utilizing dried fruit, the flavor of the jam is super concentrated and rich and you'll never know you didn't use fresh fruit. We love this brilliant hack and know you will too!

To make this homemade fig jam, you can start by gathering your ingredients. For this recipe, you will need dried figs, sugar, lemon juice, and water. That's right! This recipe only requires 4 ingredients; 3 if you don't count water.

Pull out a large saucepan and place it on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the dried figs and sugar to the saucepan. Then, pour in the lemon juice and water into the mixture. Bring the contents to a boil. When asked about substituting other dried fruit for the figs, Musgrave notes, "You can definitely use this as a template for jam with other dried fruit." We're thinking dried apricots, dried cranberries, or even dates would work really well!

Once the mixture is boiling, turn the heat down to reduce to a simmer. Continue to simmer the jam for 20 to 25 minutes. This will allow the jam to thicken up nicely. Once the jam is at your desired consistency, let the jam cool completely. As it reaches room temperature, pour the jam into airtight storage containers, ideally jars.

When you have the jam prepped and in the storage jars, you can keep it in the fridge for up to 3 months. That's a pretty long time to have jam on hand! We imagine you will use it up much more quickly than this provided shelf life, because of its exhaustive versatility. Musgrave tells us, " I usually serve this on buttered toast, but you can get creative! This jam would be great in cocktails, french toast, with biscuits, or pancakes." Are you drooling yet?