You will be surprised at just how easy and simple it is to make fig preserve in just a few hours.
Dreaming of making your own preserves this time of year? Does it seem like it would be too hard to tackle or how to begin? I’m here to tell you small batch canning has made me fall in love with canning. I use to be overwhelmed by the idea of how long it would take and how many different kinds of equipment I would need. Small batching can take all that worry away and you can learn how to do it with less overwhelm. I love figs and the thought of fig preserves sends me into wonderful dreams of all the amazing things I can use it for all winter long.
Figs. My favorite are mission figs in this recipe, but any variety of fresh figs will work well. For best results, you will want to use fresh, ripe figs.
Honey This recipe includes a combination of honey and just a tablespoon of cane sugar, I have also used coconut sugar and it works very well also. You can certainly substitute them with your favorite sweetener. I try to keep the sugar ratio lower as I find figs full of flavor and plenty of sweetness, this will depend on your taste, however try using my guidelines to start out with and see if that works for you as well.
Fresh Lemon Fresh squeezed lemon juice balances out the flavors and gives just the right amount of sweetness. I have also tried fresh orange juice just for fun and it is a nice alternative.
Vanilla. The vanilla extract is optional but it adds a nice depth of flavor. It can be substituted with your favorite extract, spices such as cinnamon stick, ginger or orange as well.
Coconut or Cane Sugar. Both are very good choices, if you prefer one over the other or if you only have one on hand, that can work just fine. You can also choose to omit all the sugar and add a bit more honey.
- For a smoother consistency, cut the figs into smaller pieces before cooking or process in a food processor after cooking.
- Recipe yields about 6, 8 0z canning jars of fig preserves.
- To change the taste a bit try adding orange juice or adding a cinnamon stick during cooking process.
- After canning store in a cool dry storage space.
Homemade Small Batch Fresh Fig Preserves
Equipment
- 6-7 glass canning jars 8 oz
Ingredients
- 4 lbs figs
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1 1/2 tbsp coconut or cane sugar
- 1 tbsp Vanilla Extract
- 1/2 lemon fresh juice of half a lemon
Instructions
- Cut all the figs up in quarters and place in your pot on medium heat
- add all your ingredients and stir very well combining all the flavors. Cover and place on low flame, Stirring gently every ten minutes. Keep lid on.
- Place all your jars and lids in a stock pot. fill with water to cover them. Bring to boil for ten minutes. Allow to sit in hot water until the figs are ready to preserve.
- After you have been stirring and waiting about 50 minutes for figs to cook, begin to mash with a whisk or a potato masher until all figs are melted into the rest. I love pieces of fig fruit in my preserve but mostly it will be chunky consistency. Mash till desired smoothness. Once completely cooked you can take it a step further If you prefer smooth Jam you can place in food processor until a smoother consistency is achieved.
- With a clean tong remove each bottle and lids and place them on clean paper towels. Remove Cooked preserve from stove top and ladle the preserves into each jar leaving a 1/4 inch at the top. Cover and give it a nice firm turn to close.
- In the stock pot gently add the glass jars. I like to use two kitchen towels to weave between the bottles to prevent the glass bottles from moving or tapping each other or the sides of the pan. Ensuring no cracked jars. Once the jars are secure fill the pot with lukewarm water one inch over the top of jars, being sure all are submerged underwater. Bring to boil. Check your state and town altitude to find out what boil time is required for canning in your area. Each state has a canning recommendations website. Where I am I need to boil for 10 to 15 minutes. Then turn off your heat and remove from stove. Leave Jars in Pot and allow to cool over night or 24 hours. Remove from water then place on clean dish towel upside down for a day. They are now ready to store in a cool dark pantry area.
